Memories of the First Thanksgiving

Every year, like clockwork, we celebrate Thanksgiving as we have been taught by our friends and family. Tradition calls for the same thing every year, gift giving for Christmas, eating of turkey for Thanksgiving and so on. But how many can actually say that they understand that how Thanksgiving is celebrated today is nothing like it was celebrated 100’s of years ago, at the first Thanksgiving? Home-schoolers pay attention, moms, dads, traditionalists alike, pay attention, for the first Thanksgiving tradition has long been forgotten and replaced with non-traditional foods.

When most people think of Thanksgiving, they think of turkey, as well as corn on the cob, dressings, pumpkin pie, potatoes and gravy, just to name a few choices usually seen on a Thanksgiving table. Problem is, this is so far from the true and first Thanksgiving that most have never even been schooled to the truth. In fact, Pioneers did not have wild turkey, they most likely had duck, according to historians. Pioneers would not have had pumpkin pie or corn on the cob as corn on the cob would have been out of season.

About the only corn that would have been available at the first Thanksgiving would have been dried corn, usually used for decorations. Today we have had certain things ingrained in us by the consumer societal way of life and all the big corporations that will do well to profit off Thanksgiving. Not only is today’s Thanksgiving table very far from the original Thanksgiving feast, but with the commercialization of all the holidays, including Thanksgiving, we have lost the true meaning of the holiday.

This is so true with all the holidays. Why not have a more traditional Thanksgiving this year to commemorate the first Thanksgiving, that started it all! Although there may not have been pumpkin pie on a Pioneer’s table, there were, no doubt pumpkins. So maybe having a few pumpkins on the table and in the general celebration area would suffice for a nice traditional feel? Those in attendance to the first Thanksgiving would have had limited food choices, even though food was brought from different families.

They would have had limited funds, and according to historians, most homesteaders, Pioneers, were very poor and would have had to rely on community for such a large feast. If you are interested in bringing more tradition into your family’s Thanksgiving, here is a partial list of very possible items that would have been eaten at the first Thanksgiving:

1- Squash

2- Carrots

3- Peas

4- Duck

5- Walnuts

6- Chestnuts

7- Pumpkin soup

8- Goose

9- Lobster

10- Mussels and clams