Thanksgiving began as a uniquely American holiday in 1621 with a celebratory gathering of 53 surviving pilgrims, including Governor William Bradford, and 90 Native Americans. The meal consisted of five deer, geese, ducks and other wild game, and the focus of the gathering was to give God thanks for surviving the disease-ridden harsh first winter in the small Plymouth, MA colony wherein many others had perished. The pilgrims and the Wampanoag people, including their king, Massasoit celebrated for three days playing games and feasting together. While the holiday has now spread to eight countries across the world, its roots grow deepest in American soil and tradition. Today, Thanksgiving is one of the most regarded holidays on the US calendar.