The Greatest Joy

With the celebration of Thanksgiving here in the United States, we enter into the holiday season. When we think of “the first Thanksgiving,” we remember a simple gathering in the autumn of 1621. On that occasion, newly arrived immigrants gathered with native peoples for a simple feast. The immigrants, whom we call “the Pilgrims” had arrived on ship called The Mayflower. They came to America in response to religious persecution; they were members of the English Puritans who had come to America by way of Holland. Think about what it would be like to arrive at Plymouth Rock on December 11, 1620 – facing the harsh winter ahead.