| I as an American living in Warsaw, Poland am often | | | | years after reaching the new world) did not |
| asked “Why a turkey?”. This question when | | | | substantiate having a national holiday. As for me, I |
| put to the average American would be answered in | | | | can see where there was certain logic in this |
| the form that it was what was eaten by the pilgrims | | | | however when saying this I do not wish it |
| during the first thanksgiving which became a tradition | | | | understood that I am against this holiday as I |
| afterward and this a nice story. The idea of | | | | celebrate it every year despite not having been in |
| continuing a tradition started by those whose | | | | the States in over 13 years. |
| suffering in the new world gave way to them being | | | | There is another factor which I also find odd in the |
| thankful for their first good harvest which they | | | | telling of the history surrounding Thanksgiving or at |
| celebrated with a huge turkey meal is sentimental but | | | | least in the way it is told in American schools and |
| is it true? Did the pilgrims really eat turkey during the | | | | that being that it is never mentioned that the Pilgrims |
| first thanksgiving meal? This is a question that many | | | | left England but originally it was not to go to the new |
| historians have come to ask if the pilgrims in fact ate | | | | world but to the Netherlands. Holland where they |
| the bird we today know and refer to as a turkey | | | | stayed for many a year but eventually left finding |
| because the pilgrims called every form of wild fowl a | | | | the Dutch way of life to be “ungodly” as well |
| turkey even those that were not what we today call | | | | as the fact that some of their children were speaking |
| a turkey. | | | | Dutch instead of English as unbearable. I find it funny |
| It is strange for many and perhaps unacceptable that | | | | on a lighter side of this that the clothes we associate |
| the pilgrims might not have eaten turkey as it has | | | | with the pilgrims meaning the long black hats the men |
| become such a symbol of this holiday but there is a | | | | wore which in my opinion resemble a witch’s hat |
| possibility they might not have. Lobster, deer which | | | | were really Dutch as was the rest of their garments |
| perhaps nobody would ever associate with | | | | and this perhaps is the reason that men in this attire |
| Thanksgiving were surely eaten but there is one | | | | can be found on boxes of “Dutch Masters |
| thing that we can almost eliminate from what could | | | | Cigars”. |
| have been on the menu and that is pumpkin pie as | | | | The question of why the turkey is however not the |
| the pilgrims more then likely had run out of flour by | | | | only one I hear in Poland year after year from those |
| then. | | | | whom I mention Thanksgiving to as very often I am |
| Of course it is not really a matter of tremendous | | | | asked to share my knowledge on why it is held on |
| significance if the pilgrims who are very often | | | | the 4th Thursday of November as opposed to |
| referred to as our forefathers ate what today is | | | | having a fixed date like Christmas? This question I |
| known and accepted as turkey but what is some | | | | can not answer with certainty but I will try to use |
| might say is the fact that they were giving thanks to | | | | my imagination as to what might have lead the |
| God for the blessings they had received during the | | | | United States government to set the day as such. |
| year. This again based on what we know today can | | | | In the first place they chose a Thursday meaning |
| also be disputed, not that there ever was a feast | | | | that they more then like always wanted it to be on a |
| but that its intension was to show gratitude toward | | | | weekday unlike Christmas which some years can fall |
| God. Yes, it is true the pilgrims were deeply religious | | | | on a Sunday. But some insist why the 4 Thursday of |
| in a way that did not allow them to wear any colors | | | | November not another day for instance the 3 |
| apart from black also holding believes that dancing, | | | | Wednesday of October? |
| drinking and music were irreligious but this reason is | | | | This again with reason as an ally I can retort that |
| precisely why some argue that theirs was not really | | | | those who chose this day were probably looking for |
| a feast of thanks. The logic for this disbelieve that | | | | a day that would help mark the begging of the |
| questions lies in the fact that these were deeply | | | | Christmas shopping season but not one that would |
| religious people not despite it. In those days thanking | | | | be so close to it that it would be competing with it. |
| God was done in a completely different manner then | | | | This 4th Thursday if one thinks about it is ideal as it |
| it is today as giving thanks to God in those days | | | | can fall anywhere between the 28th of November at |
| specially by deeply religious people was done in the | | | | the latest or the 22nd at the earliest. |
| form of praying and fasting and not in the form of | | | | Another reason I can speculate why Thursday was |
| huge feasts. In the opinion of several historians the | | | | chosen as opposed to shall we say Friday or |
| feast of the pilgrims was in fact a harvest celebration | | | | Wednesday, is that Thanksgiving being on Thursday |
| which was a very common thing at the time and not | | | | makes it possible for stores to close on Thursday for |
| a day for giving thanks to anybody contrary to the | | | | Thanksgiving and then use the following Friday to get |
| story most Americans are told in school. One reason | | | | themselves ready for what would be the first |
| I can see for this change in the story is perhaps the | | | | Saturday of the holiday shopping season. The reason |
| United States government felt that a day of thanks | | | | this happens is that the day after Thanksgiving |
| would be more eagerly celebrated then a | | | | though not an official bank Holiday is taken as such |
| “harvest day” especially by those whose | | | | at least as far as schools and department stores are |
| livelihood was not dependent on agriculture. | | | | concerned. This in my opinion being a good technique |
| Contrary to what some may think the Thanksgiving | | | | to follow given that Saturday is the most popular |
| feast was not repeated by the pilgrims the following | | | | shopping day and these stores want to take |
| year as the harvest was not as abundant and it was | | | | advantage of it and be ready for the first Saturday |
| not before two years passed after the first feast | | | | of the Christmas shopping season. |
| that it was repeated. Strangely enough many | | | | Despite these discrepancies in the tale which to my |
| historians have cause to believe that this second | | | | personal way of seeing things are interesting but do |
| feast was in fact the first real “Thanksgiving Day | | | | not change nor diminish what Thanksgiving has |
| Dinner” fore it was then that the pilgrims had a | | | | become, which is an American holiday which can be |
| day to give thanks for the rain that brought to end | | | | celebrated by anybody regardless of nationality or |
| the long draught which they felt their prayers to God | | | | religion. The reason I can even say any religion is |
| have been responsible for. | | | | because this day or what this day has been |
| Another Thanksgiving day fact that took me by | | | | transformed in to is a day on which we Americans |
| surprise when I first heard it was that the pilgrims | | | | give thanks for what we have but strangely enough |
| only held this feast twice which goes in stark | | | | it is no longer connected with giving thanks to |
| contrast to what I had believed that this celebration | | | | anybody in particular or even God. |
| was repeated by them year after year. The reality | | | | Another factor connected with Thanksgiving that |
| was that not till much later during the Lincoln | | | | makes it a great secular holiday for anybody is the |
| administration did “Thanksgiving” became | | | | fact that it is not really connected to patriotism as it |
| recognized as an official holiday as it was Lincoln who | | | | does not celebrate the wining of a battle or the |
| took time out from the “Civil War” to make | | | | gaining of independence. This leaving it open to be |
| it such. To many however at the time in congress | | | | celebrated by anybody regardless of nationality who |
| the sufferance of a what in fact could be called a | | | | would like to eat a turkey and give thanks for he or |
| handful of Pilgrims as they only numbered 100 (not all | | | | she has that he or she considers worth being |
| members of the “Separatist Church of | | | | thankful for. |
| England” and most of whom died less then 5 | | | | HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYBODY! |