Thanksgiving 1621 - Facts from the First Thanksgiving

In the year 1621, Plymouth colonists and the Wampanog Indians shared a feast. Which is known today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations. This dinner became a symbol of peace between the English and Native Americans. Native American groups like the Cherokee, Creek, Pueblo, and others celebrated their harvest. They had harvest festivals, dances, and other forms of celebration. They did this way before Europeans arrived in North America.

No historians are sure exactly what food they shared. It would be safe to say that they did not have pumpkin pie. In fact they had a lot of meat on the menu considering that there were plenty of venison and wild fowl. Historians believe that turkey might have been on the menu after all. Many vegetables were not available to the colonists, depending on the time of year. They had mostly meats at the feast as it was easier to obtain them. They roasted all their meals. They also dried a lot of food to preserve them. Some foods they dried were corn, fish, and ham. You may think English food was bland. In fact they used many different spices.

When Pilgrims ate they did not use forks,but ate with their fingers. They also used spoons as well as knives. They ate three times a day. The best part of the day to eat was dinner time. Also known to them as noon meat. The adults sat down to eat first. While the children and servants waited on them. The best food was placed next to the most important people at the table. Most of them just ate what was sitting next to them instead of trying a little of everything. As for the Indians they ate whenever they were hungry. Most of the time they had food cooking in pots.

It took a long time for Thanksgiving to become a yearly event. Various Thanksgiving celebrations were held irregularly for 150 years. Until finally it was suggested by the Continental Congress that we should have a national day of thanks. Thanksgiving still has a sense of celebration. We are thankful for our food on the table. Even though now, most of us do not have to grow our own crops. We just run to the grocery store instead. Yet , it is still a time to be thankful for our food, as we share it with our family and friends.