What's the true meaning of thanksgiving day?

When the Mayflower landed on Plymouth rock. The indians welcomed the puritans and they all had a meal. For me it is a focus on my family and being grateful for things I have, or do not have.

It's about giving and sharing and being thankful for what you have. To share your little piece of heaven.

To give Thanks for what we have! Have you ever missed a meal?

1600s Pilgrims Later on in an act of Congress to remember the founding of our great nation and to be thankful

Besides the excellent explanations given above, don't forget that, traditionally, there was a similar celebration in Britain at the end of autumn, when all the crops and fruit were gathered in. It is still celebrated in churches and schools at "Harvest festival" but is not a public holiday as it has no fixed date (since the harvest is gathered at different times in different locations). At that time those that had a good harvest shared their excess with those who were less well off. We still send our children to school with offerings that are distributed to local people in need. It is a long standing tradition and was already in existence at the time of the Pilgrim Fathers, who took the notion with them to America where they were at the receiving end. So it dates back even further and existed in medieval times in Europe in some form or other. There were even celebrations in heathen times with sacrifices being made to "Mother Earth" to thank her and encourage her to be generous in the subsequent harvest.

in america in the very early years of settlement, in the 1600s some time, the indians helped the settlers survive the winter because they didnt know how to hunt for american game. then the indians taught them how to plant squash and corn and beans you can dry. and the next november they had gotten all the harvest in and preserved for winter, so the indians showed up with turkeys and squash to help the settlers make it through the first days of winter, and instead they stayed and they all cooked a feast and shared it with much good will, the settlers were thanking both the indians and their god for providing bounty to keep them through the harsh new england winters.

the true meaning of thanksgiving day is... family. i think it originated from Pilgrims who came to the new world when indians were around and they became friends with them and shared stuff and had a big feast. and they called it Thanksgiving...

Once upon a time there were these two drunk pilgrims...

pilgrims and indians when the pilgrims came on the mayflower.... it stands for thanks and giving