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Thanksgiving: History of the Tradition

2007-11-19

Ever wonder what the pilgrims and their Native American guests really ate at the first Thanksgiving feast? The truth may surprise you. Contrary to popular belief, they didn't sit down to a meal featuring turkey, corn, cranberries and pumpkin pie (in fact, they didn't even have forks!). 

In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. Although this feast is considered by many to be the first Thanksgiving celebration, it was actually in keeping with a long tradition of celebrating the harvest and giving thanks for a successful bounty of crops.

Following is a list of the foods that were available to the colonists at the time of the 1621 feast. However, the only two items that historians know for sure were on the menu are venison and wild fowl.

Foods that may have been on the menu: cod, eel, clams, lobster; wild turkey, goose, duck, crane, swan, partridge, eagles, venison and seal; pumpkin, peas, beans, onions, lettuce, radishes, carrots, wheat flour and Indian corn; plums and grapes; walnuts, chestnuts and acorns.

The pilgrims probably didn't have pies or anything sweet at the harvest feast. They had brought some sugar with them on the Mayflower but by the time of the feast, the supply had dwindled. Also, they didn't have an oven so pies, cakes and breads were not possible at all.

The pilgrims didn't use forks; they ate with spoons, knives and their fingers. They wiped their hands on large cloth napkins which they also used to pick up hot morsels of food.

So count your blessings this Thanksgiving – especially for the good-tasting, easy-to-prepare foods that are available today!

Source: history.com

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