For many of us, the meaning of Thanksgiving usually includes four day weekends, feasting, football games, floats, and an introduction to Christmas festivities. The first Thanksgiving was neither a feast or holiday. It didn’t actually become a legal holiday until 1941. Following the Mayflower’s arrival at Plymouth Rock in 1620, the Pilgrims suffered the loss of 46 of their original 102 colonists. The remaining Pilgrims were able to survive the winter with the help of Indians, ending in a traditional English harvest festival in 1621 that lasted three days.
In June 1676, the community of Charlestown, Massachusetts proclaimed a day of thanksgiving for their good fortune. This day was not celebrated with the Indians since the colonists had a recent victory over the “heathen natives”. Over one hundred years later, all 13 colonies participated in a Thanksgiving feast.
We all love the different food we get to enjoy on Thanksgiving. The one day of the year that we don’t regret eating too much! Here are a few recipes to get you started for your day of festivities!