What was the first Thanksgiving really like?

The 1621 gathering at Plymouth was a harvest celebration, not the tidy holiday dinner we picture now. English settlers marked surviving their first crop, and Massasoit came with many Wampanoag men. It took place outside over several days, with eating, contests, and uneasy alliance-building.

The menu would feel surprising at a modern table. Deer was brought by the Wampanoag guests, and coastal foods like fish or shellfish may have joined birds such as duck or goose. Pie and mashed potatoes were not there; those belong to later kitchens.