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I'd stuffed many a turkey before I really understood Thanksgiving. Oh sure, I knew we were supposed to be thankful, and once I became a Christian I knew who we were thanking. But it wasn't until I homeschooled some of my children that I really discovered the whole story. Unfortunately, that story keeps getting harder to find.

For years, public schools have left God out of Thanksgiving, teaching instead that the Pilgrims gave a party to thank the Native Americans and Mother Earth. Even more current are claims that the first Thanksgiving was a copy of European harvest festivals, a stolen Native American custom, or just a repetition of thanksgivings offered by other explorers.

But the Pilgrims' own writings and the historical events leading to the first Thanksgiving show the traditional accounts (available in pre-1960 books and encyclopedias) to be authentic. Thanksgiving was not an isolated event, or an imitation of some other event, but a uniquely inspired Christian celebration—the culmination of a long journey of faith during which the Pilgrims relied on God and trusted him through tremendous adversity.

While Thanksgiving often gets lost in the pre-Christmas shuffle, teaching our children the real story of this holiday can make it an opportunity for spiritual growth that our children will cherish for years to come. With a little history, a little creativity, and a sense of fun, Thanksgiving can become one of your family's favorite celebrations.

The Thanksgiving story is more than just the tale of Pilgrims and Indians. It's a portrait of God's hand in bringing people together to accomplish a specific purpose. As you share this story with your children, encourage them to listen for the ways God helped the Pilgrims and guided them through difficult times.

In the early 1600s the Wampanoag (Wam-pa-NO-ag) Indians inhabited the coast of what we now call New England. They raised crops, lived close to the ocean in summer for seafood, and moved inland in winter to set up hunting camps. Their encounters with Europeans over the years were mostly friendly.

But there was one exception: In 1614 Captain Thomas Hunt captured several Wampanoag, along with a Patuxet Indian named Squanto, to be sold into slavery in Spain. A Spanish monk purchased Squanto's freedom, taught him Spanish, introduced him to Jesus Christ and sent him to England. In 1619, Squanto returned to his native land, only to find that his tribe had been wiped out by an epidemic. Thereafter he made his home with the Wampanoag.

Meanwhile, in 1608, a British group called Separatists fled to Leyden, Holland. There they found religious freedom, but also poverty, grueling work hours, and a secular culture that threatened to undo the values they had carefully instilled in their children. In 1620, they sold all their belongings to help finance their journey to America.

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