2021 Home For the Holidays

2021 Home for the Holidays Lincoln Daily News November 24, 2021 Page 7 That celebration probably did not occur in late November 1621, but perhaps weeks earlier, before severe cold weather set in. Historians are unable to pinpoint the exact date, but estimate the feast occurred sometime between mid-September and early November and lasted a number of days. Edward Winslow was one of the “firstcomers” as they called themselves. He wrote letters back home to friends left behind in England. In one such letter he wrote of that first feast. “Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruits of our labor. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which we brought to the plantation and bestowed on our governor, and upon the captain and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty.” According to Winslow’s words, the greatest amount of meat on the tables that first feast was venison. The men hand also hunted for fowl, but it was most likely not turkey as according to New England Today. More than likely the fowl was duck and goose. Though not mentioned in Winslow’s letter, fishing was a popular way to provide food and mussels and shellfish were plentiful along the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. So, probably no turkey. Instead, there was venison and fowl and possibly some shellfish. There were no potatoes or sweet potatoes as neither the Indians or Pilgrims grew those foods. Instead, they grew corn and beans, onions, pumpkins and squash. They also harvested the fruits of the forest, nuts and berries. Cranberries grew wild in the forest so that particular Thanksgiving staple may well have been on the table in some form. So, how is it that today, turkey became the foundation of most Thanksgiving meals? According to Britannica.com that may be due to a book written by Sarah Joseph Hale in 1827. In her novel “Northwood” she devoted a chapter to that first Thanksgiving feast and Continued n