It's just one week until Thanksgiving, and already the planning among friends and family has reached silly proportions. Dinner times have been changed, travel plans made (then changed, then changed back) and trying to assign everyone something to bring and getting them here on time - well, that's a fools errand from the start!!
In an effort to inject some sanity (and hopefully entertainment) into the preparation, I thought it might help to remind ourselves that Thanksgiving (or at least the first Thanksgiving) wasn't exactly what we thought it was.
Myth #1:
The pilgrims had a bountiful feast with turkey, cranberries, breads, etc....
Actually, all we know for sure that they ate was deer and "wild fowl." It is likely that they had dried corn and fruit as well. And that they did not use forks in 1621, they ate with their hands (forks didn't catch on in Great Britain until the 18th century.)
The rest of the traditional meal is a creation of the Victorians, who made Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863.
Myth #2
The pilgrims and Indians did not all sit down at a table together and break bread, and pass the sweet potatoes.
It is far more likely that food was set out on every available surface and was eaten when people were hungry (over 3 days) without great ceremony.
Myth #3
The pilgrims wore black and white clothing with pointed hats, and buckled shoes.
While they did wear black on Sunday, they wore all other colors at all other times, and the buckled shoe was a fabrication added by 19th century American artists depicting the event.
Myth #4
The first Thanksgiving was a celebration of a great harvest.
Actually, the 1621 harvest was pretty meager. The peas, barley and wheat they had brought with them had failed and only the success of the corn crops saved their harvest. In fact, the previous winter had wiped out nearly half of their population.
Myth #5
There was plenty of food for all
This should comfort all you Thanksgiving day hosts: The guests actually brought almost all the food. But, unprepared to feed so many, Wampanoag chief Massasoit sent men back for more supplies.
So, you see - even the picture perfect Thanksgiving that we all envision wasn't really all that perfect. Relax, enjoy the friends, family, and football - and try not to give in to the tryptophan.
More Fun Facts:
- The first Thanksgiving feast lasted 3 days!
- Many Americans consume as much as 4500 calories on Thanksgiving
- The Pilgrims probably didn't land on Plymouth Rock. (The Plymouth Rock legend rests entirely on the dubious testimony of Thomas Faunce, a ninety-five year old man, who told the story more than a century after the Mayflower landed.)
Joe Michalski
Sherlock Homes Inspections
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