A History Of Thanksgiving Celebrations

The Transformation Of Thanksgiving Traditions

American children spend their early school years learning about the first Thanksgiving meal shared by the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag. The settlers had reason to celebrate; it was their first real harvest, and they wanted to share it with the native people who helped make it possible.

The festival was a three day celebration which included hunting, harvesting, fishing, games, and lots of food to celebrate the fall harvest. Today, we look at our preparations for Thanksgiving as an arduous task. But imagine the work it took to put a meal on the table in November 1621!

During what Americans refer to as The First Thanksgiving, a feast of venison, duck, geese, corn, barley, and perhaps cranberries and nuts would have been served. Although wild turkey was hunted in those days, no mention is made of turkey in any documentation regarding this celebration. Perhaps this harvest meal didn't fall during the season most likely to provide turkey for the table. We do know that duck and geese were plentiful. Foods we think of as staples today, like squash and potatoes, hadn't made their way to New England in time for the first feast. As a matter of fact, many dishes we think of as traditional today wouldn't find their way to a Thanksgiving table until almost 200 years later.

The first Thanksgiving harvest celebration of 1621 didn't spark subsequent holidays each year. It wasn't until 1789 when President George Washington declared the first national Thanksgiving holiday that America had the excuse to feast again in this harvest tradition. However, this declaration also did not repeat each year. So, again, the Thanksgiving tradition was forgotten for a while.

Then in 1827, author Sara Josepha Hale started a campaign to establish a yearly national Thanksgiving holiday, inspired in part by a written diary of pilgrim life. This effort took almost thirty years to complete, in which time the author spent time promoting her campaign by publishing many of her favorite recipes, including pumpkin pie, turkey, and stuffing. Now you can see how the Thanksgiving table we know today got its start. Thank you, Miss Hale!

In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln declared the Thanksgiving holiday be celebrated each year on the final Thursday of November, and so it was, until 1939, during the Great Depression. In an effort to give retailers more time to make money during the holiday shopping season, President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the Thanksgiving holiday up a week earlier. Americans were not happy with the idea of their beloved
Thanksgiving turning into a money-making enterprise, so the President bowed to the people and in 1941 he signed a bill setting Thanksgiving firmly, and forever, on the 4th Thursday in November each and every year.
As you can see, Thanksgiving was a tradition that took hundreds of years to become established.

Throughout those years, America changed. Today's table may not resemble the table set by the Pilgrims and Wampanoag in Plymouth that Autumn day. But the spirit of the holiday remains the same – being thankful for those around you who share the burden and the pleasure of reaching a common goal. Happy Thanksgiving!

How To Stay Focused And Have A Healthy Happy Thanksgiving

Compared to other holidays in America, it seems that our Thanksgiving has taken on a tradition of over-indulgence. The table is filled from sunup to sundown with food. Lots of food. And eating plates piled high with all sorts of goodies is not only not discouraged, it's encouraged!

This is a celebration of abundance! We are supposed to remember the First Thanksgiving, when the settlers and native tribes joined together to partake in the great gifts the autumn harvest had to offer. A joyous time with plenty to eat was something to celebrate, indeed.

Today, even when we have enough to eat every day, we still take this holiday to dig in and wallow in the abundance set in front of us on the Thanksgiving table. This can, and does, cause some dietary distress and overall health problems for many of us.

Therefore, this Thanksgiving, let's enjoy the feast without sacrificing our health. Here are few things we can do to stay focused while celebrating this holiday.

Focus on People

This is a good holiday to reconnect with family and friends. Talk to the people in your life and find out what they think about, how they feel, and what they've been doing. We all get so busy, it's these times when we get to slow down and take a friend or family member's hand and tell them we want to be a part of their life. And, maybe it's the time Aunt Gertrude finally shares her secret recipe with you for the perfect pumpkin pie!

Focus on Fun

What better way to reconnect with family and friends than by playing games? Whether it's a board game, card game, video game, or some kind of sports, the focus is on the fun. This makes it easy to talk, laugh, and share something about yourself. You can even use dinner time games as a way to have fun. Fill little cups with mints and ask each guest to share something they're thankful for for each mint in their cup. Little moments form memories, and these moments come naturally when gathered together just to have fun.

Focus on Food

Yes, of course we still want to enjoy the feast. But instead of building a mountain of food on your plate, take small portions and focus on each dish. Pay homage to every morsel the cooks have put together to please their guests. Your hosts will be tickled to see you slowly nibbling on small portions of all the delicious dishes presented, and your diet will remain on track when you keep your portions under control.

Focus on Fitness

The party is over. Tummies are full. It's time to get up and move. I know the desire to lay down and sleep is sometimes overwhelming, but the indigestion and regrets are not worth giving into the temptation. After dinner, gather up your group and take a walk around the block. Your full belly may not allow for a rousing game of volleyball, but certainly it will appreciate a good stretch of the legs. This post-dinner walk is not only good for the digestion, it lifts spirits and brings smiles to tired faces. And you don't feel like you sacrificed all your good exercising history with one big meal.

Just because a holiday is about abundance, doesn't mean we have to give in to over-indulging. Let's be thankful for the good things we have in our life and on our table, and celebrate by staying focused on those special things. Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner Casserole Recipe

1 large egg
2 egg whites
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1-1/2 to 2 lb whole turkey breast
3 to 4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 2 inch cubes
2 Tbsps olive oil
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp dried crushed sage
1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and lightly coat a 9x13 baking pan with oil.

Put egg and egg whites in a shallow bowl and whisk until frothy.

In a separate shallow bowl add the garlic powder, black pepper, and pecans, and stir to combine.

Coat the turkey breast first in the whisked eggs then place in the pecan mixture, turning to cover the turkey well with the dry mixture on all sides. Carefully place in the prepared baking pan.

In a separate bowl, put the sweet potatoes, olive oil, salt, sage, and cinnamon (if using) and toss until coated well.

Now scatter the sweet potatoes evenly around the turkey breast.

Cover the baking dish with foil and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for 20 minutes more or until the turkey breast is thoroughly cooked and the sweet potatoes are tender.

Remove turkey to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing thinly and serving with spoonfuls of sweet potatoes alongside.

Will serve 6.

DIshes From The First Thanksgiving Feast

Feasting At The First Thanksgiving Table

Picture you own Thanksgiving table, or take a look at an iconic American picture of this holiday feast. Chances are, in the center of the table sits a big turkey stuffed with all kinds of savory goodies. Then you'll find bowls of whipped potatoes, and sweet cranberry relish, alongside piping hot dishes of the ever popular green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, and cheesy macaroni with golden buttery topping. Pumpkin pie is certain to be on the dessert menu.

This list is just a few dishes we think of when we imagine a Thanksgiving table in America. How many of these dishes actually reflect the original feast? Probably not that many. Let's take a look.

The Hunt

A big golden brown turkey stuffed with an abundance of bread dressing takes center stage at most American tables during the Thanksgiving feast. But, that twenty pound bird is really the product of modern times.

According to historical notes, a hunting trip was organized for the first harvest feast, which was a three day affair. The hunting group would have bagged whatever was plentiful, which was very likely a mix of duck and geese, along with other small wild fowl, with a few wild turkeys along the way. The birds would have been stuffed with onions and herbs, and not with any sort of bread-like stuffing. 

With a table filled with wild game birds, you would think there would be no need for other meat. However, deer was plentiful and was actually given as a gift from the Wampanoag tribe to the Pilgrims for the feast. This venison would have most likely been roasted over an open fire pit, some served immediately while the the remaining meat slow simmered for stew to be served over the next few days.

Fresh Pickings

Because this three day celebration was held during the fall season, we know the foods harvested in this region's climate would have included onions, carrots, cabbage, beans, turnips, and even some late season corn.

The onions may have been used to flavor other dishes, but would also have been roasted and served as a side dish by themselves. Flavored with herbs, large pots of carrots, cabbage, and beans were also roasted on open fires.

Corn was not the super-sweet and tender variety we are familiar with today. Late season corn, in particular, would be a bit starchy. It would have been cut from the cob and thrown into a skillet to simmer, probably along with other vegetables. Some of the corn would have been dried and ground to make a coarse meal suitable for making bread.

Even though the settlers had learned to enjoy some tubers, like turnips, they never really caught on to potatoes, either russet or sweet. Introduced by Spanish explorers, the European settlers passed on potatoes for many years, making this one veggie that wasn't on the first Thanksgiving table.

Fresh fruits and berries would be plentiful at this time of year. Plums, gooseberries, raspberries, and cranberries were served in a variety of ways, none of which would be sweet. Since sugar was scare, the dishes made with fruits and berries would typically be tart. We would definitely not have the sort of cranberry relish we know today.

 From The Waters

Along with game and fresh vegetables, fruits, and berries, the region also had an abundance of seafood. Mussels, oysters, fish, clams, and even lobster were part of the diet in the region, so it makes sense that these foods were part of any feast.

Large fish may have been stuffed with onion and other vegetables and herbs, then roasted over an open fire. During one of the three days, this may have actually been served as the main dish.

Pumpkin Pie

And, finally, we come to one of the dishes we all can agree has Thanksgiving stamped all over it - pumpkin pie. Although it is true that pumpkin was found on tables in this region during the time of the first Thanksgiving feast, it would not have been in the form of a pie.

The settlers did not have fully equipped kitchens or pantries such as we know today. They cooked in fire pits, not ovens. And the pantry didn't have butter or refined flour to produce a tender pie crust.

Instead, we have documentation that shows the settlers created a sweetened pumpkin dish by carving out the pumpkin and filling the insides with honey, milk, and even berries, then putting the top back on the pumpkin and roasting it whole in the fire pit. Once removed and cooled slightly, the creamy insides were scooped out and served warm. Aside from the crust, this sounds pretty close to what we have today for pumpkin pie.

The next time you picture a typical Thanksgiving dinner, try throwing in a few images of the First Thanksgiving and see how your table-scape changes. Happy Thanksgiving!

Apricot Ham With Orange Mustard Glaze Recipe

6 to 7 lb halved ham, cooked, bone in
6 oz package of dried apricot halves
2 Tbsp whole cloves
1 cup water
1 cup orange marmalade
3 Tbsp coarse ground Dijon mustard

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Put ham on cutting board, fat side up, and carefully trim off the majority of the outside crust, exposing the remaining thin layer of fat.

Arrange the apricots evenly over the ham, sticking cloves in the apricots to hold them in place.

Set the ham, fat side up, carefully onto a rack in a large roasting pan, pour in the water around the edges of the pan, cover the roasting pan with aluminum foil, sealing the sides, and put in oven. Bake for 1-1/2 hours.

Prepare the glaze; put orange marmalade and mustard in a bowl and whisk until smooth.

When ham has baked for 1-1/2, remove from oven, remove foil, and brush glaze over the ham.

Put ham back in oven, uncovered, and bake for 30 minutes more, basting the ham with the glaze that drips into the roasting pan several times.

Remove ham from oven and let rest in roasting pan for 10 minutes, then remove to cutting board, slice and serve.

Will serve 10 to 12 with sides.

Traditional Spring Rolls Recipe

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
3 tsps peanut oil
1 3/4 cups water
peanut oil for frying
1 cup bean sprouts
1 cup finely shredded green onions
1 cup finely shredded carrots
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup finely chopped COOKED shrimp, pork, chicken or other protein
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp Chinese five spice seasoning mix
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sea salt

Prepare the spring roll skins.

Put the first 4 ingredients in a bowl and mix well until you have a thin batter. Lightly oil a 6 inch skillet and put over medium heat. For each spring roll, spoon 2 teaspoons of the batter into the hot skillet and give it a swirl to spread the batter thinly over the bottom of the skillet. Cook until the batter shrinks from the sides of the skillet. The spring roll skins should be dry but not browned at all. Flip out onto a plate and keep frying the batter into 'skins' until the batter is used up. You should end up with about 18 spring roll skins.
Now prepare the filling.

Put an inch of peanut oil in a wok, heat until very hot, then add the vegetables and stir fry quickly, for about 1 minute.

Add the meat and the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.

Add the remaining ingredients and cook for 1 more minute.

Remove ingredients from wok and let cool.

Prepare the spring rolls.

Lay the skins out on a work surface. Spoon a couple teaspoons of filling near the edge of the skin and roll up tightly, tucking in the top and bottom as you roll, using a little water to seal the edge.

When all the spring rolls are filled, you are ready to fry them.

Pour a couple inches of peanut oil into the wok over high heat. When oil is very hot and sizzles, carefully drop in a couple spring rolls and deep fry them in the oil, turning once to make sure all sides get crispy and golden brown. Remove each one as they cook and put on a rack to drain. Don't overcrowd the wok; fry only a few at a time.

Serve room temperature.

Will make about 18 spring rolls.

Tomato Egg Drop Soup Recipe

4 ripe tomatoes
2 large eggs, beaten
2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tsp water
2 tsp sesame oil
4 green onions, chopped

Wash and slice the tomatoes thinly capturing the juices; set aside.

Fill your wok with fresh water and put over high heat.

When the water comes to a boil, slowly pour beaten eggs into the rapidly boiling water; do not stir or disturb too much.

When the egg sets and becomes yellow in color, add the tomato, sprinkle in the salt, then gently stir in the cornstarch mixture, cooking about 1 more minute.

Remove from heat and drizzle in the sesame oil and top with the green onions, then serve in bowls.

Will serve 2.