by Mary Pogwizd
In 1621 the Mayflower pilgrims sat down with Native Americans to eat a meal. Little did they
know, it will be the beginning of one of the most important traditions for many Americans...
Let’s start from the very beginning
In September 1620, a small ship called the Mayflower left Plymouth, England.
There were 102 passengers on board - religious separatists with a mission to spread
their religious faith. They were encouraged by promises of prosperity and land
ownership in the "New World."
After over 90 days the Mayflower arrived in Massachusetts. It was winter and most
of the newcomers decided to stay on board the ship. They suffered heavily from
exposure, scurvy, and outbreaks of contagious disease. Only half of the
Mayflower’s original passengers and crew survived to their first New England
spring. In March, the remaining pilgrims moved ashore, and right after they
experienced an astonishing visit from a member of the Abenaki tribe, who introduced
them to another Native American – Squanto. He taught the newcomers how to
cultivate corn, extract sap from maple trees, catch fish in the rivers, and avoid
poisonous plants. He also helped them to make friends and co-exist with the
Wampanoag, another local tribe.
When in November 1621 Pilgrims’ first corn harvest proved successful, Governor
organized a celebratory feast. The festival lasted for three days. As religious
separatists, Pilgrims thanked God for their success.
Even though, we don’t know the exact menu for the fest, we may suspect it
contained corn, a menu of venison, corn, shellfish, cornmeal, beans, nuts, dried berries,
pumpkin—and, yes, turkey. That means the traditions exist from the very beginning.
“Mary Had A Little Lamb”
This is the name of a campaign to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday.
Since 1827, the noted magazine editor and prolific writer Sarah Josepha Hale, for
over 36 years, published numerous editorials and sent scores of letters to governors,
senators, presidents, and other politicians. Finally, Abraham Lincoln heard her
request and, at the height of the Civil War, made Thanksgiving a national holiday.
Traditions
In the US Thanksgiving is always on the 4th Thursday of November. While in Canada is
always the first Thursday of October. Even though there are few differences, the goal is the
same – to reunite with family and spend quality time full of gratitude.
Since it is a national holiday, it is a day off for many workers. The preparations start weeks
before – everyone wants to have the best turkey! On Thanksgiving Thursday, in the traditional
home, you would most certainly smell the turkey and its stuffing. The legend says every
family has its own recipe for turkey. Food Network recommends stuffing it with a bunch
of thyme, halved lemon, quartered onion, and garlic.
Macy’s Parade
For all the New Yorkers undeniably the most important part is Macy’s Parade. It
starts on Thanksgiving Day at around 09:00 in the morning on the west side of Central Park
at 77th Street. The parade then continues down 6th Avenue towards Herald Square on
34th Street, where the Macy’s department store is located. As early as 6:00 people line up
alongside the route to make sure they have great spots for viewing.
Game Time!
Nothing bonds better than watching a game together. Right after dinner, families gather in
front of the TV to watch the epic National Football League. This is a tradition, so doesn’t
matter if you are a massive fan or not – that’s the moment to watch it.
Menu
As we all know turkey place the main role on the Thanksgiving table. But what if we are
vegetarian or vegan? Americans have that figured! You can easily replace it with only veggies
or tofu.
We’ve already mentioned the turkey and its stuffing. What else can we find?
Mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, dinner rolls, and cranberry sauce.
And for the dessert – three options: A pecan pie, a pumpkin pie, or an apple pie.
Black Friday
In the beginning American “holiday”, is now a global phenomenon – The Black Friday.
It’s always the day after Thanksgiving.
This is a day of crazy sales. You can spot things with the price even 90% off!
I love it!