NATCHEZ &8212; The 3-year-olds at Head Start in Clayton can tell you all about the first Thanksgiving, even if they do add their own twist to the pronunciation of the word &8220;pilgrim.&8221;

With a little prompting, they know some pilgrims came over on the Mayflower, they know it was rainy and cold and they know the Indians taught the pilgrims how to kill meat.

The daily story drill from teacher Linda Stringer for a week was just the repetition the little ones needed to understand the basics before their school let out for Thanksgiving break.

But understanding the real meaning of the holiday doesn&8217;t hit for most kids until a few years later.

&8220;It&8217;s about how we are thankful for the blessings we are given,&8221; said 9-year-old Areyanna Ashley of Natchez. &8220;Like the roof over my head, my mom and my dad and my teachers who teach me so I can learn more and more.&8221;

And about family, the third-graders at Vidalia Upper Elementary said last week.

&8220;It&8217;s about a bunch of people getting together and getting along,&8221; 9-year-old John Thurman said.

Kendrick and Kenzie Kunkle, 8-year-old twins, have a Thanksgiving ritual that&8217;s hard to forget, they said.

&8220;We drive to Indiana every Thanksgiving,&8221; Kendrick said. &8220;It takes a day to get there. All the family comes, our cousins come, but it&8217;s too cold to go outside.&8221;

Casey Calhoun is headed to grandma&8217;s where the agenda is simple &8212; eat and sleep.

Cheyenne McCranie, 9, said thanksgiving was about a feast.

&8220;And being thankful for family, for living, having a nice family and a house,&8221; she said.

Natchez fourth-grader Jaccacia Bass said she was looking forward to the turkey, her favorite, and dressing.

&8220;It&8217;s getting together and celebrating with your family,&8221; she said.

Children at most Miss-Lou schools had Thanksgiving meals last Friday at school and some invited parents and grandparents to join them. Several schools had Thanksgiving programs and home cooked meals for the children and their families.

All area schools were closed all this week.