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The Pilgrims and Indians Celebrated with Different Foods Than Today |
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When the Pilgrims sat down in 1621 to a harvest feast with their native friends the Wampanoag Indians it was more of a big harvest celebration than a big formal ritual to offer thanks to a higher power. Nor was the big feast repeated, so it was not really the start of an official tradition to celebrate either. (Note: This historic harvest celebration is different from the December 4, 1619 "Day of Thanksgiving" that was documented and historically recorded as having occurred in Berkley, Virginia the year before the Pilgrams landed at Plymoth.) The pilgrims were pleased at the quality of the harvest they were able to retrieve from their crops and thankful to the Native Americans for assisting them and teaching them on how best to work the difficult soils of their new homeland. The first Thanksgiving feast went on for three days. Those in attendance included all of the Pilgrims from the community and ninety Native American guests who provided five freshly killed deer as an offering to the banquet.
The menu prepared for the first Thanksgiving dinner is not exactly what we would eat today. There was no corn on the cob, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce or even pumpkin pie. Instead, the menu more than likely had items like lobster, clams, cod, and even eel on it. The first Thanksgiving menu would also have likely included turkey, although it would have been wild turkey and not the domestic variety eaten at the Thanksgiving table today. In addition, there was more than likely goose, duck, crane, swan, partridge and perhaps even eagles prepared for the feast as well as venison and seal. There were also many nuts, fruits, and vegetables on the menu including pumpkin, peas, beans, onions, lettuce, radishes, carrots, cranberries, plums, nuts, berries, mushrooms, and grapes.
One surprising thing about the first Thanksgiving meal was that there more than likely was not any sweet served at the harvest feast. The pilgrims had brought sugar with them from England, but by the supply had quickly dwindled. Thank goodness the menu from the first Tradition has evolved to what it has today. Imagine not only having to eat some of the things that the Pilgrims did, but imagine a Thanksgiving dinner without pies and sweets as dessert!
In the United States, Thanksgiving began with the Pilgrims who settled around Plymouth in December of 1620. During the winter of 1620-21 they suffered many privations. Food and supplies were scarce and disease ran rampant in the region. Nearly half the population died. At the harvest of 1621 there was a feast. Proclaiming a day of thanks became popular. There was no official national day, but individual states, cities and towns began to pick out a particular day every year, usually in the autumn. In 1863 and 1864 President Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November as a "day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father." Try decorating your Thanksgiving Day dinner table with some simple food garnishing. For assigned seating try these free printable place name cards.
Labor Day Parties
Think about inviting everyone to a "Touch Football Thanksgiving" game before your big feast. Girls and guys alike will have fun doing this.It's also sure to give you some fun conversation at your table.
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