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 The First American Thanksgiving
was celebrated in Massachusetts by the original colonists who
settled in the "New World". After a brutal first winter that claimed
nearly half of the Plymouth population, hope returned with the
bountiful corn crop of 1621. So that all could feast and show
gratitude through prayer, Governor William Bradford designated
December 13, 1621 to be a day to rejoice and share the blessings of
the harvest.
Several days were spent in
preparation of "Feast Day". The women worked tirelessly as
they boiled, baked and roasted over the hearth fires. Children
helped by turning meat on a spit. Native Americans brought an
offering of wild turkey and venison (deer meat) to share with the
colonists. Hunting trips by the men of the village yielded
geese, ducks and fish.
Pilgrims and Native Americans
sat around a huge outdoor table that presented an abundance of
meats, journey cakes, corn meal bread with nuts, succotash and a
dessert of pumpkins stewed in maple sap. The colonists
feasted, prayed and sang for three days before returning to their
chores.
Even though the reason for the
season and celebration originated on that winter's day in 1621, the
first nationally-celebrated Thanksgiving Day wasn't proclaimed
until 1863. President Abraham Lincoln set aside the last
Thursday in November as "a day of Thanksgiving and praise to our
beneficent Father".
Let us all gather, remember and
be thankful as we enjoy this holiday.
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