| It is a basic notion that during the 1600's, | | | | Pilgrims at Plymouth" that historians have gleaned |
| accurately in the year 1621, the English settlers | | | | the greatest part of information about this first |
| and the Wampanoag Indians got together and | | | | Thanksgiving celebration: |
| shared a fantastic fall harvest feast to celebrate | | | | "...Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent |
| the bounty from the rich earth. Today this | | | | four men on fowling, that so we might after a |
| celebratory feast is acknowledged to be one of | | | | special manner rejoice together after we had |
| the first Thanksgiving festivities in the early days | | | | gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one |
| of the colonies. While that long ago feast is | | | | day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, |
| supposed by a lot of people to be the first | | | | served the company almost a week. At which |
| Thanksgiving celebration, it was, in fact, part of a | | | | time, among other recreations, we exercised our |
| long existing custom of celebrating the seasonal | | | | arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, |
| harvest and giving thanks for a good bounty of | | | | and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit, |
| crops that would last through the long hard winter. | | | | with some ninety men, whom for three days we |
| Many Native American tribes of what would be | | | | entertained and feasted, and they went out and |
| named America, including the Pueblo, Cherokee, | | | | killed five deer, which they brought to the |
| Shawnee, Huron, Creek, Blackfoot and so many | | | | plantation and bestowed upon our governor, and |
| others would hold huge harvest festivals, | | | | upon the captain, and others. And although it be |
| consisting in ceremonial dances, races, games and | | | | not always so plentiful as it was at this time with |
| other cheerful celebrations of gratefulness | | | | us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far |
| hundreds of years before the European peoples | | | | from want that we often wish you partakers of |
| arrived. | | | | our plenty..." - Edward Winslow, 1595-1655. |
| If you are like me, you are surely wondering the | | | | Although the first Thanksgiving dinners were not |
| kind of meals served at the harvest feast. | | | | concentrated on the turkey; today's usual meal |
| Historians, as usual, are not one hundred percent | | | | primarily focuses around this animal. During the |
| sure regarding it; however they are sure that | | | | 17th century, vegetables were not as important |
| pilgrims weren't eating pumpkin pies nor building | | | | as of today, so the meal of this period of time |
| castle towers with mashed potatoes. However, it | | | | included a lot of different meats. The many types |
| is easy to think that the list of meat available | | | | of vegetables we take for granted today were |
| during this period of time should surely include | | | | not available to the colonists. Freezing methods did |
| venison as well as several types wild poultry such | | | | not exist; which means that the vegetable |
| as duck, goose as well as wild turkey. While there | | | | consumption was based on seasonal harvests. |
| are hundreds of manuscripts describing such | | | | Because the colonists and Wampanoag tribe had |
| feast, the most detailed description of this | | | | no refrigeration in the 1600s, they dried a lot of |
| celebration of late harvest date of 1621 and was | | | | their foods to preserve them. They would dry |
| written by a man called Edward Winslow. It is | | | | corn, wild boar hams, fish, venison, and many wild |
| from his manuscript called "A Journal of the | | | | herbs. |