Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
What did they eat at the first Thanksgiving dinner in history?
By Sofía Danis - 2022-11-24T09:19:03Z
Read in English
It’s hard to imagine a Thanksgiving dinner without the classic mashed potatoes, the popular sweet potato mash, the delicious cranberry sauce, the traditional mac & cheese, the iconic pumpkin pie, and of course, the characteristic turkey at the center of the table. This scene is repeated multiple times in TV shows, movies, and annually in millions of homes across the United States on the fourth Thursday of November.
The Thanksgiving Day is so important in the United States that it is classified as the largest family holiday in the country, as it mobilizes a significant number of people eager to reunite with family or friends to enjoy the traditional Thanksgiving dinner. While expressing gratitude for bountiful harvests is a common activity in various festivals celebrated around the world, the concept of the Thanksgiving Day dinner dates back to a feast between English pilgrims who founded the Plymouth colony—now Massachusetts—and the indigenous people of the Wampanoag tribe.
Although the exact date of that mythical feast is unknown, it is believed that the first Thanksgiving dinner in history took place in 1621, as the pilgrim chronicler Edward Winslow mentioned prior preparations in a letter: “As we secured our harvest, our governor sent four men to hunt fowl so that we might rejoice together once we have gathered the fruits of our labor. The four killed so many fowl in one day that, with a little help, they lasted the company almost a week.”
Moreover, Edward Winslow later describes what seems to be the first Thanksgiving dinner on record: “At that time, among other activities, we used our weapons, many of the natives came with us, and among them was their great king Massasoit, with about ninety persons, whom we entertained and celebrated for three days, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and presented to our governor, the captain, and some others. And although it may not always be so abundant, by the grace of God, we are so far from need that we wish to share with you our abundance.”
According to various historians, it is unlikely that turkey was the only fowl at the center of the table during the harvest feasts, as different harvest products, deer, swans, geese, ducks, and other small birds may also have been part of the menu as indicated by Edward Winslow's account.
Over the years, the tradition of expressing gratitude for bountiful harvests with a feast became a common activity in New England, and its popularity was such that in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving Day as an annual national holiday celebrated to this day.
It’s hard to imagine a Thanksgiving dinner without the classic mashed potatoes, the popular sweet potato mash, the delicious cranberry sauce, the traditional mac & cheese, the iconic pumpkin pie, and of course, the characteristic turkey at the center of the table. This scene is repeated multiple times in TV shows, movies, and annually in millions of homes across the United States on the fourth Thursday of November.
The Thanksgiving Day is so important in the United States that it is classified as the largest family holiday in the country, as it mobilizes a significant number of people eager to reunite with family or friends to enjoy the traditional Thanksgiving dinner. While expressing gratitude for bountiful harvests is a common activity in various festivals celebrated around the world, the concept of the Thanksgiving Day dinner dates back to a feast between English pilgrims who founded the Plymouth colony—now Massachusetts—and the indigenous people of the Wampanoag tribe.
Although the exact date of that mythical feast is unknown, it is believed that the first Thanksgiving dinner in history took place in 1621, as the pilgrim chronicler Edward Winslow mentioned prior preparations in a letter: “As we secured our harvest, our governor sent four men to hunt fowl so that we might rejoice together once we have gathered the fruits of our labor. The four killed so many fowl in one day that, with a little help, they lasted the company almost a week.”
Moreover, Edward Winslow later describes what seems to be the first Thanksgiving dinner on record: “At that time, among other activities, we used our weapons, many of the natives came with us, and among them was their great king Massasoit, with about ninety persons, whom we entertained and celebrated for three days, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and presented to our governor, the captain, and some others. And although it may not always be so abundant, by the grace of God, we are so far from need that we wish to share with you our abundance.”
According to various historians, it is unlikely that turkey was the only fowl at the center of the table during the harvest feasts, as different harvest products, deer, swans, geese, ducks, and other small birds may also have been part of the menu as indicated by Edward Winslow's account.
Over the years, the tradition of expressing gratitude for bountiful harvests with a feast became a common activity in New England, and its popularity was such that in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving Day as an annual national holiday celebrated to this day.
