It’s about that time to get out the big casserole dishes and pots and make the food you know that isn’t on your diet. I can almost smell the pecan pie, but really it’s not all about the food. It is a wonderful time of coming together with friends and family.
Thanksgiving’s true origins are much more profound and historical than its modern connotations of feasting, parades, and football. This essay explores the history of Thanksgiving, following its inception to the early 1700s and the exchanges between the Pilgrims and Native Americans.
The Pilgrims, a group of religious separatists, are the first characters in the Thanksgiving story. In 1620, these Puritan Englishmen sailed from Plymouth, England on the Mayflower in search of religious liberty. They arrived in December of that same year in what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, following a treacherous voyage across the Atlantic.
There was little food, severe cold, and inadequate shelter during Plymouth’s first severe winter. A large number of Pilgrims became sick, and almost half of them died from starvation and illness. For the immigrants who had fled their native country in quest of religious freedom and a better life, it was a desperate and difficult moment.
A remarkable event happened in March 1621 when Samoset, a Native American, entered the Plymouth settlement. Speaking English, which he had picked up from European fishermen, he greeted the Pilgrims. Another Native American, Squanto, who had been kidnapped and transported to Europe but had since returned to his native country, was introduced to the Pilgrims by Samoset.
Squanto was essential to the Pilgrims’ ability to survive. He imparted valuable knowledge on them, teaching them how to cultivate local crops like maize (corn) and how to catch fish. In addition, he acted as a translator and go-between for the Pilgrims and the local indigenous Wampanoag tribe. The Wampanoag assisted the Pilgrims in acclimating to their new surroundings by imparting their knowledge of the land.
To show their appreciation for the Wampanoags’ assistance and the successful harvest of their first crops, the Pilgrims threw a three-day feast in November 1621. This is regarded as the inaugural Thanksgiving. There was probably game, poultry, fish, corn, squash, and other local fruits and vegetables on the menu. It was an occasion to honor the Pilgrims’ survival, their renewed camaraderie with the Wampanoag, and the bountiful harvest they had harvested from the earth.
Thanksgiving has changed over time to become a day for Americans to get together, give thanks, and savor a substantial meal with loved ones. Parades, football games, and, of course, the traditional turkey dinner with all the fixings are what make it special.
As always, Keep On Brewin.