The first Thanksgiving was different than modern celebrations, as the Pilgrims and Wampanoag tribe only had fish, shellfish, vegetables, and deer to eat rather than the wide variety of dishes we enjoy today. Nearly half of the Pilgrim settlers died during that first harsh winter due to lack of food and cold weather until the Wampanoag's Squanto taught them to plant corn using fish as fertilizer. We now celebrate Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of November to commemorate the Pilgrims' harvest feast and give thanks for their survival with the help of Native Americans.