Wednesday, 25 November 2009

• The Twisted History of Thanksgiving

  
  
  The first official Thanksgiving in the US took place in 1621, the pilgrims provided most of the meal, they ate sweet potatoes and ham, the Indians and pilgrims were great friends, ... at least this is what we have always been taught.
  
  School children are taught a lot of things as historical fact when indeed the reality is found to be much different upon further study. According to a colonist by the name of Edward Winslow in A Journey of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, the pilgrims had already gathered their crops for harvest and hunted fowl when king Massasoit and 90 of his men came to them with concerns that the pilgrims were preparing to war against them. The Indians wound up killing 5 deer and many turkeys to share during this 3 day feast.
  
  Wild Turkey and venison are the only items we know for certain were on the menu. Other items which may have been on the menu include goose, swan, seal, eel, clams, lobster, cod, wheat flour, Indian corn, pumpkin, peas, beans, carrots, radishes, onions, plums, grapes, acorns, walnuts, chestnuts, olive oil, leeks, dried currants, parsnips and liverwort. There were no pies, no cranberry sauce, no corn on the cob, no mashed potatoes and no green bean casserole. ;)
  
  It would be interesting some Thanksgiving to try to emulate the menu of the pilgrims as closely as possible. Sounds like an interesting school lesson! hmmm?
  
  
  
  Thanksgiving today has evolved into a gluttonous day of feasting and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that! My friend Keith at Almighty Dad wrote an awesome article on this today. The name of his post is Thanksgiving Healthy Eating Tips: Never!
  
  Other Thanksgiving Day traditions include:
  
  1) Football
  2) The Macy's Day Parade
  3) Football
  4) Gathering with family
  5) Did I mention football?
  6) Wearing stretchy pants! :D
  7) Tryptophan drunkenness induces an obligatory afternoon nap
  8) Devising a Black Friday Battle Plan
  
   
  
  Other Thanksgiving Resources:
  
  Grampa David offers a great Thanksgiving story called: Thanksgiving Baby
  
  The History Channel offers a full expose, videos and more about The History of Thanksgiving
  
  Judy Dow (Abenaki) and Beverly Slapin Deconstruct the Myths of "The First Thanksgiving"
  
  
  

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