The feast that is often called the “first Thanksgiving” in 1621 lasted about three days of eating, games, and other activities shared by the English at Plymouth and Wampanoag people.

Basic facts

  • The 1621 harvest celebration at Plymouth was not a single meal but a multi‑day gathering.
  • Contemporary descriptions indicate they “entertained and feasted” for three days, which historians generally summarize as a three‑day event.

When it happened

  • The feast took place sometime in the fall of 1621, likely between late September and early November after the harvest.
  • It was a harvest celebration rather than a formal, annual Thanksgiving holiday like the one later established in the United States.

TL;DR: The first Plymouth “Thanksgiving” feast in 1621 was a harvest celebration that lasted around three days, not just one dinner.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.