The first Thanksgiving a Feast of thanks
Thanksgivingis celebrated in the fall of each year on the fourth Thursday of November. The firstThanksgiving, in 1621, was a feast to celebrate safe crossing of the Mayflower from Europe and, after a year of drought, to celebrate a bountiful harvest. Partaking in this feast were the Pilgrims of Plymouth and the Wampanoag Native Indians. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln gave the traditional feast day the holiday title it now has in his Thanksgiving Proclamation.
Today's Thanksgiving meal has many varied traditional food offerings like Turkey, dressing, potatoes and pumpkin pie. But what might have been the original food menu of the very first Thanksgiving?
One must keep in mind that, in 1621, the Pilgrims did not have the added benefit of running to the grocery store and topping their meal with extravagant ideas for their food menu. They were a tired group but, together with the Native Indians and their contributions of food supplies, they would have had a magnificent feast utilizing the wild game and harvested goods they, themselves, produced.
The meat dishes on this first Thanksgiving day most likely consisted of deer, (provided by the Indians), wild fowl such as geese, ducks, swans and, of course, wild turkeys. Bass, cod and perhaps even lobster would have been served, also, as the waters were quite abundant with them. The Pilgrims may have supplied some additional meat dishes using chickens they raised themselves.
The availability of various beans and vegetables made dishes such as cabbage, carrots and squashes available to the Pilgrims. Nuts such as hickory nuts and chestnuts would have grown in that area back in 1621, also, making flavorful additions to the menu. Corn meal and eggs were prevalent as well for the making of breads.
For the early settlers in America, goats were the main supply of milk and cheese as they were easy to care for and maintain.
Berries, dried fruits and other ingredients such as cranberries would probably not have been sweetened into dishes that are made today. Honey and maple syrup were about the only source of sweeteners and would not have been a convenient choice in sweetening fruits or berries. But these items would have been included in the first Thanksgiving meal because of their abundance.
As unusual as it sounds, there would have, most likely, not been any potatoes served at theFirst Thanksgiving. Potatoes as a crop had not reached the area in 1621 and sweet potatoes had not made an appearance from the Caribbean yet. There were probably several varieties of tuber vegetable dishes included due to the Indian diet that entailed turnips, artichokes and water lily.
And, yes, pumpkins would have been around in 1621. These would have been used as a main menu items and, perhaps, puddings. It is very doubtful that pumpkin pies were served on the first Thanksgiving, as resources for sweetening and pie crust were not really available to the Pilgrims or Indians.
The first Thanksgiving would have been an incredible celebration to attend. The thankfulness for the harvest and safety of the Colonists and Indians would have precluded the meal itself.
Today’s Thanksgiving does not include a lot of the dishes that the Pilgrims had. In fact, we probably serve up items they would never have dreamed of. And, though some rarely consider the basis and background of this wonderful holiday, the tradition stands strong and solid every fall of every year.
So be thankful! Enjoy this holiday meal with friends and family and be thankful for the many blessings each and every year holds for all of you.
