This is the first of a three-part series about some of our most celebrated holidays and traditions—those that are so ingrained in society that we often don’t know (or don’t remember) where and how they started. We’ve come to expect certain things from these peculiar holidays, but it’s time to look back at their origins.
This is the first of a three-part series about some of our most celebrated holidays and traditions—those that are so ingrained in society that we often don’t know (or don’t remember) where and how they started. We’ve come to expect certain things from these peculiar holidays, but it’s time to look back at their origins.
Kayla Nguyen/VANGUARD STAFf
Buttery warmth melts the air with the sweet aroma of baked bread, the luscious fragrance wafting around a table brimming with succulent turkey, savory gravy and irresistibly creamy mashed potatoes. Relatives lounge lazily with loosened belts, nibbling at pie they’re too full to eat but consume with relish nonetheless.
It’s Thanksgiving, and it’s wonderful.
Despite being a relatively young nation, America’s acquired quite a few of its own antiquated traditions—traditions that often stem from obscure or bizarre origins. Thanksgiving, a time of delightful nationwide gluttony, is no exception.
The first American Thanksgiving is often attributed to the October of 1621. The story describes Plymouth Pilgrims celebrating their successful harvest thanks to the help of the Wampanoag American Indians.
Elementary school filled our imaginations with this momentous day in our country’s history: We’d decorate funny hats or make handprint-turkeys to celebrate the wonderful unity of Thanksgiving, but the actual historical details were always a
bit fuzzy.
When looking back at this holiday Americans so steadfastly celebrate, what’s interesting is how such a touching tale of united cultures is based almost solely on a single letter written by a man named Edward Winslow. Winslow, the Plymouth colony’s leader, wrote the description of the first Thanksgiving—a short letter that was lost for nearly two centuries before being rediscovered in the 1800s.
Yes, the tradition of Thanksgiving is based on a rather diminutive letter that was lost for 200 years, during which time the holiday didn’t really exist.
It didn’t come into being until 1841, when Bostonian Alexander Young decided to publish the letter. In a moment of personal flair, he dubbed the event the “First Thanksgiving.”
Strangely, the concept of “thanksgiving” in the 1800s didn’t look anything like what we have now (devouring a feast and watching football). It was traditionally a time for fasting and prayer. What we do today would more aptly be described as a harvest festival, one that’s been celebrated in many cultures over the centuries as a way to thank deities for a successful crop.
Some of the basic beliefs surrounding Thanksgiving are also misleading. It’s unclear whether the Pilgrims actually invited the 90 or so Wampanoags to their festivities or if they were intimidated when the Wampanoag showed up to a 50-Pilgrim-strong party.
One of the biggest travesties, perhaps, is that mashed potatoes, stuffing and pie were almost definitely not present at this “first” Thanksgiving feast. At the time, sugar was a rarity and potatoes hadn’t yet become a common staple.
Deer, wild fowl and corn were the main dishes described in Winslow’s account. Seafood, such as eel and shellfish, were also likely incorporated, as well as vegetables like squash.
The modern Thanksgiving we have today was shaped throughout the 17th century. After Young’s publication, it quickly grew popular, and in 1863 President Abraham Lincoln declared it a national holiday.
President Franklin Roosevelt tried to change the day of Thanksgiving to the third Thursday in November. This was an attempt to lengthen the Christmas shopping season and boost the economy. The public responded poorly, and in 1942 Roosevelt issued a proclamation that declared Thanksgiving should be held on the fourth Thursday in November.
It’s unnerving to realize how elementary education gives very little factual evidence regarding Thanksgiving, and yet the holiday is such a prominent point in our yearly curriculum. I’ve certainly never eaten eel for Thanksgiving, and no one ever told me that the holiday was based on such scant information.
Teachers used the coming together of the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag American Indians as an example of a peaceful moment in time, when the Pilgrims could celebrate all they were thankful for.
As admirable as the sentiments are, it’s rather fallacious to teach these lessons in public classrooms using historical information that is loose at best. To present these values tainted by a conjectured history is dangerously close to exploitative interpretation.
The idealism of the “First Thanksgiving” is part of a pretty facade we’ve fashioned into our national self-esteem. We’ve built a tradition around a legend that symbolizes family unity and giving thanks for what we often take
for granted.
Misleading ourselves about our past and exaggerating the glory of our history borders on pitiable. All in all, though, there are worse reasons to get together and enjoy delicious food with the ones we love.
