The First Thanksgiving
Photo courtesy Plimoth.org. There’s lots more |
What did they eat at the first Thanksgiving in 1621—which was not called Thanksgiving by the celebrants? It was probably referred to as a harvest festival. (President Abraham Lincoln declared the first national Thanksgiving Day in 1863.)
We know that in 1621, the governor of Plimoth Plantation sent four men fowling, and “they four in one day shot as much fowl.” Perhaps it was turkey, perhaps not. The native Wampanoag guests killed five deer. About ninety of them attended, and the feast lasted for three days. There’s much to know about the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag People that we never learned in school. But Plimoth Plantation, a historical site, offers terrific education online. Before or after Thanksgiving dinner, the website is a great alternative to football for young and old alike. |
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