Decatur pre-K students learn lessons in thankfulness
DECATUR — The story of the first Thanksgiving in the new world is one that has been passed down through generations for almost 400 years.
When the newly arrived Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians gathered around a table at what is now Plymouth, Mass., in November of 1621, they had little idea that what they started on that cool autumn day would define what this nation was destined to become.
For one group of Decatur Pre-K school students of Joyce Turnage and Holly Denton, the chance to sit down with not only their classmates but family and friends would be their moment in time to carry on the Pilgrim traditions.
Turnage, dressed in the traditional Pilgrim waistcoat, petticoat, apron, shift and coif (hat), began the day’s event by having her students telling the story of the first Thanksgiving. Earlier in the week, the children made a bead bracelet. Each bead corresponded to an event in the Pilgrims’ journey to the new world.
The first bead was light brown, which corresponded to the color of the Mayflower, the ship on which the Pilgrims had sailed. The next was blue, signifying the color of the ocean. Next was green for Plymouth Rock, the site at which the Pilgrims landed. The next was black, representing the many colonists who died that first winter. Next was brown, the color of the special guest of the meal, the wild turkey, orange for the cornucopia, and finally yellow for the bountiful harvest of corn.
With the lesson of the day complete, it was time for the feast. The children were served by Turnage the Pilgrim. When they were served, the adults and staff lined up for the autumn feast. Together, the group enjoyed a fantastic feast and a little quality time with loved ones.
We as citizens of this great land have a lot to be thankful for this season — the children, the parents, a nation where one can sit and enjoy a bountiful feast, and each other. Be truly thankful for the many gifts, be it large or small, that we all receive this holiday season.