The first Thanksgiving meal wasn’t a new tradition

Turkey isn’t always the star of the show. Sometimes turkey isn’t even in the show. However, that isn’t the way the modern day holiday rolls. In fact, when it comes down to a Thanksgiving meal, turkey is king. Furthermore, the word turkey starts with a “t” and so does Thanksgiving. Coincidence? Maybe so, however, there’s no denying how popular turkey is on Thanksgiving.

With this in mind, the same can be said for pecan pie. Or stuffing. Both are rare. Additionally, both compliment a Thanksgiving meal menu. A modern day menu. When it comes to the tradition of the Thanksgiving meal menu these items wouldn’t have been a part of the original Harvest gathering feast.

The first Thanksgiving meal was a feast. However, it wasn’t called Thanksgiving. The best historical accounts of the first harvest gathering feast between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag in Plymouth, Massachusetts provide limited but key details about the event. The two primary sources of information are Edward Winslow’s Mourt’s Relation and William Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation. They detail a different menu than today’s traditions serve up. For example, venison was the star of the show.

The First Thanksgiving Meal

This is very interesting and informative information. From @Grok. It’s easy to think of the first Thanksgiving meal in relation to today’s standards. For example there wasn’t pie at the first harvest feast. The early Pilgrims and the Wampanoag didn’t have wheat flour, butter or ovens. So there were no pies. The only sweetness, if any, came from honey or maple syrup. That’s rough. Pecan pie is a delicious pie.

Venison was a primary part of that first get together. The Wampanoag brought five deer to the harvest feast. Furthermore, the harvest gathering was a tradition for the Europeans, as well as the Wampanoag. Long before that first gathering. Winslow mentions that the Pilgrims hunted ‘fowl’, including ducks, geese, or passenger pigeons. It’s possible there was wild turkey, but the venison was the star of that first Thanksgiving meal.

There weren’t potatoes but there was seafood and corn. There wasn’t stuffing because bread was scarce. However, there were fruits and nuts. And the duration of the feast was typically three days. That makes today’s two hour family get-together look like a tiptoe through the tulips.

Not a New Tradition

On October 3, 1863 President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation designating the last Thursday in November, as a national day of Thanksgiving. That’s when things started to get official. By then a tradition was well underway. Furthermore, the theme of the first gathering was about fellowship. And this is the same in today’s world.

In fact, that’s the spirit of the holiday. Fellowship and family. A harvest gathering to give thanks for the season’s harvest. More to follow in upcoming articles. Thanks for reading today.

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