November Holidays

November Holidays

In September 1620, a small ship called the Mayflower left Plymouth, England, carrying 102 passengers—an assortment of religious separatists seeking a new home where they could freely practice their faith and other individuals lured by the promise of prosperity and land ownership in the "New World." After an uncomfortable crossing that lasted 66 days, they dropped anchor near the tip of Cape Cod, far north of their intended destination at the mouth of the Hudson River. One month later, the Mayflower crossed Massachusetts Bay, where the Pilgrims, as they are now commonly known, began the work of establishing a village at Plymouth.

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The first winter was brutal, so only half of the Mayflower’s original passengers and crew survived to see their first New England spring. In March, the remaining settlers moved ashore, where they received an astonishing visit from a Native American who greeted them in English. Several days later, he returned with another Native American, Squanto, who had been kidnapped by an English sea captain and sold into slavery before escaping to London and returning to his homeland on an exploratory expedition. Squanto taught the Pilgrims, weakened by malnutrition and illness, how to cultivate corn, extract sap from maple trees, catch fish in the rivers and avoid poisonous plants. He also helped the settlers forge an alliance with a local tribe, which would endure for more than 50 years.

In November 1621, after the Pilgrims’ first corn harvest proved successful, Governor William Bradford organized a celebratory feast and invited a group of the colony’s Native American allies. Now remembered as American’s “first Thanksgiving”—although the Pilgrims themselves may not have used the term at the time—the festival lasted for three days. Historians have suggested that many of the dishes were likely prepared using traditional Native American spices and cooking methods. Because the Pilgrims had no oven and the Mayflower’s sugar supply had dwindled by the fall of 1621, the meal did not feature pies, cakes or other desserts, which have become a hallmark of contemporary celebrations. Although turkeys were indigenous, there is no record of a big, roasted bird at the feast. Although a day of thanks to the Lord was celebrated at different dates across America, it was only in 1863 that Abraham Lincoln scheduled Thanksgiving for the final Thursday in November in a proclamation.

In many American households, the Thanksgiving celebration now centers on cooking and sharing a bountiful meal with family and friends. Turkey, a Thanksgiving dish so popular that it has become synonymous with the holiday, may or may not have been on offer when the Pilgrims hosted the inaugural feast in 1621. Today, however, nearly 90 percent of Americans eat the bird—whether roasted, baked or deep-fried—on Thanksgiving, along with other traditional foods: stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. Volunteering is a common Thanksgiving Day activity, and communities often hold food drives and host free dinners for the less fortunate. Parades have also become an integral part of the holiday in cities and towns across the United States. A parade typically features marching bands, performers, elaborate floats conveying various celebrities and giant balloons shaped like cartoon characters. It has become a tradition for the US president to perform the annual turkey pardoning ritual. Source: https://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving/history-of-thanksgiving

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