Thanksgiving

Although it seemed like the beautiful days of summer would never end, they finally have. Now, Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Whether your Thanksgiving plans include all your extended family or just a few people, your dinners will probably have some things in common. You’ll see turkey on the table as well as mashed ‘taters, sweet potato or squash casserole, green bean casserole, creamed corn, and a host of other things. Desserts will range from pumpkin pie to banana pudding and everything in between. 

But that wasn’t what the first Thanksgiving dinner was like. In fact, it wasn’t a Thanksgiving dinner at all. The Pilgrims at Plymouth had days of thanksgiving as a part of their worship. However, they had a “Harvest Feast” to celebrate their first successful harvest in 1621, and that is what we call the first Thanksgiving.

We can’t know exactly what they ate, but we can make some guesses, which are based on Governor William Bradford’s journal and a book by Edward Winslow. Bradford and Winslow were there. Since Bradford sent men to hunt fowl, they could have brought back wild turkey, which were plentiful. But they could also have brought back ducks, geese or swan. Swan? Yes, swan. And since deer were plentiful, it’s likely one or more of them was roasting on a spit over an open fire.

The meal probably included seafood as well, but there were no mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes. Those root vegetables weren’t eaten at the time. Instead, they probably ate other root vegetables like turnips. Sweet turnip casserole? Ahh…no thank you. Besides, the Pilgrims had almost entirely depleted their sugar supply, so it’s unlikely there was a lot of sweet anything. And ovens hadn’t been constructed yet.

Our Thanksgiving is much different today and not just because of the sweet potato casserole. Over the years, several presidents declared a “Day of Thanksgiving.” However, in 1863, President Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November would be a “National Day of Thanksgiving. And Thanksgiving Day was born.

The Pilgrims had much to be thankful for on that first Thanksgiving Day. They were ill prepared for the harsh winters of New England, had no chance to grow crops and would not have survived the first year had it not been for the generosity of the Indians. Now, they had adjusted to the climate, food was plentiful, they had shelter and they were thankful to their God, who had provided for them.

We too have much to be thankful for, and what better time is there to give thanks than in November and especially on Thanksgiving Day? Whatever your plans and however many people you’ll celebrate the holiday with, you can be sure we have it easier than the Pilgrims on that first “Thanksgiving Day.”

On the other hand, we only celebrate Thanksgiving for one day. The early Pilgrims had a three-day celebration. Can you imagine the food coma that must have followed? Even without potatoes or pumpkin pie, the tryptophan from all that turkey must have led to some long afternoon naps!

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