Embedded Files
Post date: Nov 19, 2012 7:40:39 PM
Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada it is celebrated on the second Monday in October.
The First Thanksgiving (US)
When we think of Thanksgiving today, images of football, pumpkin pie, parades, and turkey dinner complete with cranberry sauce come to mind, as well as plans for a Black Friday shopping spree the following day.This is not
the way it was in 1621. When 91 Wampanoag Indians and the Colonists sat down to their three-day feast to give thanks, they dined on lobster, fish packed in salt, dried and smoked meats, and freshly caught wild game. They did not eat corn on the cob (Indian corn was only good for making corn meal) or have pumpkin pie or cranberry sauce since sugar had not yet been introduced to the New England region.
People of both cultures had been giving thanks for the fall harvest for many centuries. It is interesting to note that the religious element, giving thanks to God, was not present at this particular celebration in 1621, e
ven though the Pilgrims were devoutly religious. In fact, some early Pilgrim "thanksgiving days" were actually fasts rather than feasts.
The Native Americans had their own religious customs and beliefs. As a result, during this "first" Than
ksgiving, Pilgrims and Native Americans did not focus on their differences, but concentrated on what they shared. The two groups of people worked side by side to hunt and prepare food as equals and friends. Their friendship and cooperation was yet another thing for which to be thankful.
When we sit down to our Thanksgiving dinner, we honor a piece of early American history. The story of the Pilgrims and Native Americans serve as a good reminder for all of us to be thankful for what we have--no matter how much or how little.
How Thanksgiving Became a Holiday
After 1621, future Thanksgiving celebrations occurred at various times throughout the year.
On June 20, 1676, the government of Charlestown, Massachusetts voted to proclaim June 29 as a day of thanksgiving for the good fortune of their community. This celebration probably did not include the Indians, as it was to be in recognition of the colonists' victory over the "heathen natives."
October 1777 marked the first time that all 13 colonies joined in a thanksgiving celebration. it also commemorated the patriots' victory over the British at Saratoga.
George Washington, the first American president, declared a feast of Thanksgiving in 1789, although some were opposed to it.
During the Civil War, poet Sarah Hale started a campaign to celebrate the holiday on the same day throughout the country. Finally, after 40 years of writing editorials and letters to governors and presidents, Hale's dream became a reality.
President Abraham Lincoln saw the holiday as a way to unite the country, and in 1863 he proclaimed a national Thanksgiving celebration on the last Thursday in November.
It was changed from the last Thursday to the third Thursday by Franklin Roosevelt in 1939 as a way to lengthen the Christmas shopping holiday, but the public was not enthusiastic, so the date was changed back, and in 1941, Congress prroclaimed Thanksgiving a Federal holiday.
Some interesting facts:
Turkey is the big centerpiece of most Thanksgiving celebrations. The term "turkey" was used by the Pilgrims to mean any sort of wild fowl. Governor William Bradford sent "four men fowling" after wild ducks and geese. It is not certain that wild turkey was part of their feast. It is certain that they had venison.
Turkey was important for the settlers' diets, as turkeys were in great supply and were enjoyed for their eggs as well as their abundant meat. Even if it wasn't part of the first Thanksgiving, the turkey quickly became a fixture at future tables.
Today, many families prefer roast goose (which was probably present at the first feast), a ham (which was almost definitely not present), or the new "gourmet" tradition of turducken (a turkey stuffed with a duck that's stuffed with a chicken).
Thanksgiving is one
of the few feasts where even the vegetarians can go home content. There are sweet potatoes, stuffing, corn, cranberry sauce, apple and pumpkin pie, roast squash, brussels sprouts and a host of other seasonal sides and desserts. Of course, you can always add Tofurkey (turkey-flavored tofu) or another meat substitute.
All the President's Turkeys
The tradition of officially pardoning a turkey dates back as far as Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy, or George H. Bush, depending on whom you ask. Photos depict President Truman accepting a turkey at the White House, although it is not known whether the bird ended up on the table or at the farm after the cameras left the scene.
John F. Kennedy was presented with a turkey at Thanksgiving and decided to "just keep it" instead of serve it up. And when President Bush Senior was presented with a holiday turkey, he gave a lighthearted speech where he decided to officially pardon the turkey. Turkeys have been officially pardoned since that day.
Google Sites
Report abuse