History of Thanksgiving
.
November 14, 2011 • by William Lee Hageman
Filed under News, Top Stories
The time is nearly upon us when thanks are given, stomachs are filled, and families are united as a part of the holiday dubbed Thanksgiving.
The origins of this centuries-old practice date all the way back to the united feasting of the Natives of America and the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth in 1621. However, the tradition as it is known today wasn’t started until 1863 when Abraham Lincoln made it a national holiday. This was in adherence to Mrs. Sarah Josepha Hale who had been lobbying for it’s observance since 1827.
This was the beginning of the annual practice that would take place every 5th Thursday of November before being moved to the 4th Thursday in 1941 by Franklin D. Roosevelt, who happened to be a descendant of a settler from The Fortune, the second ship to land at Plymouth shortly after the Mayflower.
The cuisine served at Thanksgiving has definitely gone through some changes over the centuries. Today’s common dishes seen on our tables are usually turkey, or the occasional ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, a possible roll or two, cranberry sauce and any type of vegetable that can be found. This is quite different from the five deer, several turkeys and other fowl, along with some marine life such as bass, cod, mussels, lobster and the like, with just some vegetation like corn, peas, wheat, and barley that was seen at the original dinner.
This holiday has evolved so much since its early origins that it can be easy to lose sight of what it really was and how it was actually practiced. The original reasoning behind the feast was as a type of peace offering between the two groups of people, but has been turned on it’s head to become a time of stuffing ourselves and watching football or any other television program that has become synonymous with Thanksgiving.
So enjoy Como Park. Eat and be merry, but just don’t forget to appreciate your heritage even if this isn’t the exact meal of the Pilgrims and Native Americans.
Last 5 posts in News
- The Earth, E.U., and You! - December 22nd, 2011
- The Story of Christmas - December 10th, 2011
- Penguin Love Isn't All Black and White - December 8th, 2011
- The End Is Near! (In A Year) - December 1st, 2011
- A Man Was the Message - November 11th, 2011
Loading ...
Comments