THANKSGIVING DAY HISTORY
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"The First Thanksgiving"
Thanksgiving and the Pilgrims seem to go together, but the truth is,
the Pilgrims never held an autumnal Thanksgiving feast. Before you
cancel the turkey, take a look at the origin of that particular myth. In
some ways, the truth is even more intriguing.
The Pilgrims did have a feast in 1621, after their first harvest, and
it is this feast which people often refer to as "The First
Thanksgiving". This feast was never repeated, though, so it can't be
called the beginning of a tradition, nor was it termed by the colonists
or "Pilgrims" a Thanksgiving Feast. In fact, to these devoutly religious
people, a day of thanksgiving was a day of prayer and fasting, and would
have been held any time that they felt an extra day of thanks was called
for. Nevertheless, the 1621 feast has become a model that we think of
for our own Thanksgiving celebration and we do know something of the
truth about it.
We can assume, for example, that the harvest feast was eaten outside
based on the fact that the Colonists didn't have a building large enough
to accommodate all the people who came. Native people were definitely
among the invited guests, and it's possible, even probable, that turkey
(roasted but not stuffed) and pumpkin in some form, found their way to
the table. And it gets better. This is the way the feast was described
in a first-hand account presumably by a leader of the colony, Edward
Winslow, as it appears in Mourt's Relation:
"Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on
fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together
after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day
killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company
almost a week. At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised
our arms, Many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest
their greatest King Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three
days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five
deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed on our
governor, and upon the captain and others. And although it be not
always so plentiful as it was this time with us, yet by the goodness
of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of
our plenty."
From this we know that the feast went on for three days , included
ninety "Indians", and food was plentiful. In addition, to the venison
provided by the Indians, there was enough wild fowl to supply the
village for a week. The fowl would have included ducks, geese, turkeys
and even swans.
Much of the information we have about the feast, and this period in
the lives of these people, is the result of research conducted by the
staff at Plymouth Plantation. From this research we know about the foods
that would have been available to them, and from two first hand accounts
(the second was written by William Bradford, Governor of the colony for
33 years, and can be read in Of Plymouth Plantation 1620-1647), we have
a good idea of how the village looked, what the colonists wore, how they
spoke, what animals they owned and how they lived. We even know what
games they played, what their views may have been on everything from
their new home to religion and politics.
The modern American Thanksgiving tradition grew over time taking on
mythical elements. It functions as a myth of beginnings, very similar
to the Passover celebration. An origination myth like the story of the
Pilgrims has roots in historic events and has the power to unify persons
from all backgrounds, immigrants from different cultures and languages.
People with ethnic roots in Europe, Africa, Australia, Asia, Latin
America along with native American people can come together on
Thanksgiving Day to find meaning and strength in a common story of
origin in which they can all partake by celebrating it.
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