So you want to debunk some Thanksgiving myths? Great, let’s start with this one: That it’s the woman’s job to arise before dawn, stuff the turkey, bake the pies, scrub the yams, baste the turkey, make the gravy, set the table, worry why the turkey isn’t getting done, toss the salad, greet the guests, call the emergency Butterball hotline…all while everyone is relaxing watching the parade.
Believe it or not, there’s absolutely no precedent for this. The Pilgrim guys and Squanto’s braves actually did all the cooking at the first Thanksgiving while the women sang karaoke—or something like that. Anyway, good luck correcting that faulty belief (and these others) at your house this month.
It’s all about family. The original celebration was more about community; otherwise, the Native Americans wouldn’t have been there. So feel free to invite friends and neighbors.
Turkey was served. It may have been, but it’s more likely the main course was venison. Cranberry sauce, pies, and breads were also missing. The Victorians, who lobbied for making Thanksgiving a national holiday in the mid-1800s, added these dishes.
It was a prim-and-proper affair. Forget about the special silver, linen tablecloths, and bone china. The first event went on for days, it was held outdoors, and guests ate with their hands.
The dress code was formal. The Pilgrims didn’t wear chimney hats, garish belt buckles, funny shoes, or black waistcoats (even though they’re extremely slimming). No headdresses for the Indians either. Rather, everybody wore smart casual.
It was called Thanksgiving. It was more of a harvest festival. They were grateful for a good harvest, but it wasn’t officially known as Thanksgiving.
It took place in November. That would have been too late for a harvest. More likely, it occurred between late September and mid-October.
It said “Pilgrim” on the place cards. Those early British settlers referred to themselves as “saints.” They weren’t labeled as Pilgrims (probably due to the pilgrimage they undertook) until around 1800.
It happened in New England. Some historians claim the first Thanksgiving was in San Elizario, TX, in 1598, about 23 years before the Pilgrims’ bash. Others say it happened at the Berkeley Plantation in Virginia. Still others claim Native Americans had been celebrating harvests for centuries. Regardless of who’s right, it’s a good case for having turkey day at your sister-in-law’s next year.
Everyone fell asleep afterward. This is probably true because it happens whenever we stuff ourselves. But the belief that the amino acid tryptophan in turkey sedates us is an old wives’ tale. Although turkey has plenty of it, it’s really the 4,500 calories the average American ingests on this day that wipes us out.
All joking aside, Thanksgiving is one of our favorite holidays. It’s a time for family, food, and simply being appreciative for everything we have. If it takes a belief in Pilgrims to further that tradition, then so be it.
Sublime snacks
