Memories of Thanksgiving and The True History of a Fall Feast That Became a National Holiday

This article is dedicated to all of our Aunt Anna’s, Grandparents, Mothers, Sisters, Fathers, Daughters, Sons and families…and those who have fought and are still fighting to preserve our right to have Thanksgiving.

Years have passed since the last time Aunt Anna prepared our family’s annual Thanksgiving feast.  Growing up the women created the traditional Thanksgiving meal, the children played, the men watched football or “shot the breeze,” and the teenagers were anxious to join their friends after the Thanksgiving repast.  There were so many people at Aunt Anna’s home, extra tables and chairs placed into the dining room, a children’s table where they could giggle and not feel the scrutinous eyes of the “adults.”

The aromas that emanated from the kitchen were incredible.  Closing one’s eyes, you can still feel, see, hear and be back in those days when our taste buds were supreme and our happiness flowed from the joy of the family being together to celebrate a special day.  A turkey of enormous weight had been placed in Aunt Anna’s oven early in the day, basted every half hour to make sure it would be succulent and melt in our mouths.  Chestnut stuffing that was inside the turkey always made us aware that soon the sidewalk vendors of roasted chestnuts would be selling their bags of goodies that accompanied the beginning of the Christmas season and the Thanksgiving Day parades.  A special excursion to Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was a thrill, for the lofty floats and cold, crisp air made you even hungrier for the feast that was to follow later that afternoon.  Seeing Santa Claus at the end of the parade let you know for sure that the holiday special season was just around the corner and not a sad face was to be seen – laughter, joy, peace on Earth and wondrous winter snow could possibly be soon arriving.  Perhaps you were lucky enough to go Radio City Music Hall and see the Thanksgiving/Christmas show with the Rockettes – kicking high in miniature Santa suits or falling like dominoes as the nutcrackers from the ballet Nutcracker Suite.  Whether you were big or small, rich or poor, nobody was poor at this time of year.

Back at Aunt Anna’s, the turkey was slowly being roasted and baked to perfection – the Aunts and the family, including friends who made up our extended family, brought many platters with them to the house.  They wanted to share their happiness with us at this time of giving thanks.

The center table had the delicious roasted turkey placed upon it.  Soon, it would be carved by one of the men whose turn that year was to have the honor of taking the carving knife and slicing the meat for our meal.   The sweet potatoes were covered with nutmeg, marshmallows and cinnamon and made mouths water and salivate in anticipation.  The chestnut stuffing, now on its own platter was steaming, the cranberry jellies were ripe and waiting to enhance out plates of turkey.  The corn, green beans and other vegetables were just a part of this groaning board feast to celebrate our Thanksgiving table. 

The desserts were on a separate sideboard – children and adults alike eyeing them – for they were incredible.  Earlier that week, trips to the pastry bakery had been made so when you went in on Thanksgiving morning, your order was ready for pick-up.  Those pastries – you can still taste them – the rich rum babas, the cannolis, the chocolate cigars, the fruit cakes, the pignoli nuts on the almond cookies would be our last part of the feast, accompanied by black exspresso coffee, cordials of Sambuca or anisette added to it or American coffee or teas.  Our bellies defied all that was eaten, but our smiles and memories are still chronicled in our minds.

All of us, not just one related family, had this Thanksgiving feast.  As World War II was starting in Europe, in 1939, 1940 and our entry in 1941, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt sought to lengthen the Christmas shopping season as we were pulling out of the Great Depression.  Congress passed a joint resolution in 1941, and President Roosevelt signed the bill that made Thanksgiving a Federal holiday that would fall on the fourth Thursday of every November. Ironically, approximately ten days later, our very freedoms were attacked in Pearl Harbor, marking the entering of the United States into World War II. The United States government wanted to commemorate this day of thanks – Thanksgiving – one that had different customs than the widely accepted beliefs that now exist.

It was a relief to survive that first winter in 1621, when Plymouth Colony celebrated it as a traditional English feast.  Governor William Bradford proclaimed the original day of Thanksgiving.  The Pilgrims invited the local Wampanoag Indians to their tables of food offerings.  These days of “thanksgivings” were not originally celebrated at the same time in all thirteen colonies until October 1777.  George Washington was the first President to actually declare the holiday in 1789, commemorating our struggle to become a free and independent nation.  Under the leadership of President Abraham Lincoln, this holiday was declared to be on the third Thursday of November, for Lincoln was hoping to unite the nation as brother fought brother in the Civil War.  Today, the fourth Thursday is the official day of Thanksgiving, as proclaimed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Interesting facts should be realized about our forefathers and “Thanksgiving.”  The Puritans were not just escaping religious persecution by the King and the Church of England, but they were also political revolutionaries who had intentions of overthrowing the English government.  They actually attempted an act of treason in 1649.

The English considered the Puritans (Pilgrims) to be religious defectors who tried to declare themselves an independent confederacy in 1643.  They sailed on the Mayflower to the New World in hopes of establishing their own Holy Kingdom.  It should also be noted that the Pilgrims were not only innocent refugees from England, but saw themselves as the chosen people elected in fighting a war with Satan.  They transmitted rigid fundamentalism to America and America began its “Puritanical” image from this foundation.  The Wampanoag Indians were not the friendly savages that were included in the harvest feast demonstrating their Christian charity.   They felt the power of the white people who had landed and taken over their shores and did not truly trust them.  However, the religion of the Wampanoag dictated that they practice charity to those in need and hospitality to those who entered their lands.

Squanto, the “heroic” American Indian of the “historical myth of the first Thanksgiving” had a deep trust of John Weymouth, who had become his second father and friend at Plymouth.  Since Squanto was the only educated one amongst the Wampanoag people, he insured them that the people were Weymouth’s people and were good and to be trusted with their test of power.  In reality, the Wampanoag were invited to the Thanksgiving feast to negotiate a treaty that would secure lands for the Pilgrims of Plymouth.

One generation later, the power of the Pilgrims shifted and they were persecuting the American Indians!  But, for three days, in 1621, the guarded friendship was extended (although not completely sincere) and in history peace and friendship were recorded for the generations to come.  This is a balance for all of us – in times of war – in times of peace – a balance of truth and hope give true meaning to what Thanksgiving really can mean to all of us.

So – to all the Aunt Anna’s of our world – God bless you – for helping us keep our family memories alive – easing our doubts in times of despair, and giving new meaning each and every year and harvesting our hopes for the future.

To all of our readers – may you all have a very blessed and thankful Thanksgiving.  

ENJOY!!!!

Lucille Thaler and Tony Zanoff ©2007