By Alex Patt
Thanksgiving. A day to sit with family eating turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy and pumpkin pie. Oh, and let’s not forget the Thanksgiving Day parade along with the football games on TV.
Thanksgiving is an American tradition which has maintained the same elements for quite some time, and most people know the story of the first Thanksgiving being celebrated by the Pilgrims who came over on the Mayflower from England and the natives of America. However there are some facts that tend to go by the boards about the first Thanksgiving. Here is how the first one played out.
First of all, the reasons for the Thanksgiving feasts were to celebrate and to be thankful for the successful harvest in the fall of 1621. The Pilgrims came to America and barely survived the harsh winter that stowed upon them, killing many. The Pilgrims, who were a religious group of people (separatists from the Church of England), gave much thanks to God for their accomplishments despite the hardship. Also the native Wampanoag tribe assisted the Pilgrims with helping them grow food and introducing them to new kinds of foods and techniques to keep them growing.
While the exact date of the feast of the first Thanksgiving is unknown, it is known that there were multiple days of feasting in the fall of 1621.
Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing… were not at the first Thanksgiving. The Pilgrims roasted duck that they hunted and the Wampanoag hunted many deer which they brought over for all to eat. Also included in the feast: corn, squash, cabbage, onions and seafood. The meal was prepared by the Pilgrim women; the few that survived the horrible winter.
The number of people at these feasts is estimated around 50 Pilgrims and around 90 natives who were invited. The “head table,” so to speak, at the feasts included Wampanoag tribe Chief Massasoit; Wampanoag native Squanto, who taught the Pilgrims how to farm the native crops; Governor William Bradford; Mayflower Captain Miles Standish; religious leader William Brewster and a Wampanoag warrior.
In addition to the food, the festivities included exchanging and playing of traditional games between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag people. Possible games played were Blind Man’s Bluff, or the Wampanoag “pin game” (similar to “Horseshoe”). Pilgrims also liked to play target practice with their muskets, seeing who had the best shot.
The festivities also saw singing and dancing between the Pilgrims and Wampanoag. The Pilgrims showed off old English dances while the Wampanoag introduced their traditional/religious songs and dances.
393 years later, we enjoy our own tradition of “Turkey Day,” continuing to give thanks for the food we have and family being together. While we do it, it is always important to remember how it all got started, and how different it was.
