I Was Thinking... Thanksgiving Evolution

By the time you read this, you will probably have finished a large meal, took a nap, and watched a couple of football games. But today’s column will be both a history lesson and a reflection on what some people select as their favorite holiday.
Most of us grew up with visions of the Pilgrims dressed in black and white attire stepping off the Mayflower on Plymouth rock. In school, children once made construction paper hats and drew pictures of the Pilgrims and Native Americans eating a Thanksgiving meal together. Some even believe the Pilgrims were the first Europeans in America. But much of what was once believed is more myth than fact.
The first Europeans to settle what is today the United States did so at St. Augustine, Florida. The first English settlement occurred at Jamestown in 1607 in Virginia. The Pilgrims did come to America on the Mayflower, but the original voyage was supposed to have two ships, the Speedwell and the Mayflower.
Unfortunately, the Speedwell was neither speedy nor built well and leaked badly. After turning back to England, the group crowded onto the Mayflower to start again. These delays resulted in sailing in less than good conditions and storms pushed them off course. They were supposed to land at the mouth of the Hudson River but arrived at Cape Cod instead on November 11, 1620.
After two grueling months at sea, any land looked good to them. But after exploring this area and finding it unsuitable, they sailed further north to what was called Plymouth Harbor where they landed on December 21st.
Surviving the first year was difficult since they had arrived so late in the year. By spring about half of the original settlers were dead. By luck they had landed in a place where there was a limited Native American presence.
The people that had lived there had been wiped out by smallpox brought over by English fishermen who had visited the area. They found an ally in a Native American called Squanto who had one time been kidnapped and taken to England by fishermen. He served as a guide and go between with other Native American tribes.
In the fall of 1621, the Pilgrims harvested their first crops and decided to celebrate their success. According to the colonial records, “the governor sent four men on fowling and they had as much fowl for almost a week”. So, we don’t know if it was turkey or just some other type of bird. The records also state that the Indians (their words) killed five deer which they brought to the celebration. It also mentioned that “At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms...”
Now if we want to use a somewhat liberal interpretation, a lot hasn’t changed. We still have fowl, mainly turkey, deer hunting season is around Thanksgiving, and football is a big part of our fall recreation. In addition, cranberries are a part of most of our Thanksgiving meal and Massachusetts is the second leading producer of this fruit. So, if we look hard enough and generalize quite a bit, there are similarities to the first Thanksgiving and today.
But why do some people pick Thanksgiving as their favorite holiday? First, we all have a tremendous number of things to be thankful for.
But it is also one of the least commercialized holidays. In September stores are trying to sell Halloween decorations and candy. After Halloween, stores put up Christmas displays and retailers encourage shopping.
But for Thanksgiving we don’t decorate much and don’t have to worry about getting presents. It is more about family and friends and togetherness. I know those that are preparing the meal have a lot of stress but usually it becomes a group effort. And after the meal, it is probably one of the most relaxed days of the year. That, in itself, is something to be thankful for.
Did You Ever Wonder? — Why do black olives come in cans and green ones in jars?