Things You Didn't Know About the First Thanksgiving
The Thanksgiving today is very different from what the first Thanksgiving was. Firstly, Thanksgiving was looked upon as a time for prayer, giving thanks for the bountiful food and the friendship the pilgrims forged with the Indians.
Now it is considered a holiday and a day for celebration. This is not too far from the reasons behind the first Thanksgiving. On that day, pilgrims and Indians took the day off to eat, be merry and enjoy the company of one another.
Thanksgiving Food
The food during the first Thanksgiving meals was very unlike what we have today. The pilgrims and Indians had to contend with the food that was available at that time. In terms of meat, there was deer, venison, duck and other wild fowls. Turkey, as we know it today, was not available at that time.
Aside from the meat, there was a great deal of seafood, such as bass, clams, oysters and lobsters. This is because the sea and lakes were nearby. Interestingly, we rarely see seafood now as part of the Thanksgiving meal.
There were nuts and berries growing wild around the area. The Native Americans taught the pilgrims how to plant and farm on the arid land they were living on. However, the land was full of rocks and the soil was too acidic. The pilgrims could not successfully grow crops until the Native Americans taught them the technique of small gardens.
Gardening Basics Provided Some of the Main Dishes
Fresh vegetables are still part of the typical Thanksgiving meal.
There were small sections of land around the area that could grow crops. By limiting the gardens to the land that could grow the crops, the pilgrims enjoyed successful results. Although the harvests were small, it was enough for a family. And there were many small farm plots around the settlers.
The Thanksgiving meals included crops from the garden. There was corn, squash, and beans. The stalks of the corn were used for the vines of the beans. The beans provided nitrates to the soil, keeping it fertile for the next planting.
Thanksgiving: A Favorite Holiday Then and Now
The first Thanksgiving included fresh vegetables, fish and meat. Although they didn't have pumpkin pie, potatoes, and bread stuffing during the first Thanksgiving meal, the food the pilgrims and Indians shared was probably delicious.
Our Thanksgiving meals today have gone through a series of changes over the years. But despite the changes in food, we still maintain the tradition of giving thanks for our food, the family, and close friends.
From everyone at Package From Santa, Happy Thanksgiving to all!
