Pumpkin and Thanksgiving Feast
Pumpkin pie is a modern Thanksgiving staple but it is unlikely to have been part of the first thanksgiving feast. Pilgrims did have boiled pumpkin, this was due to the absence of bread because of a lack of flour. The first Thanksgiving Day feast continued for three full days. They ate outside due to lack of space. The Thanksgiving feast was not repeated till 1623, and again in 1676 in response to a severe drought. In October of 1777 all 13 colonies joined in a communal celebration, this also marked the victory over the British.
Our modern autumn celebrations honor a seasonal time of abundance and harvest, so what better way to celebrate than to grace your holiday table or buffet with an elegant, fall themed centerpiece full of fall’s favorite flowers and dotted with sweet baby pumpkins.
Looking for a Thankgiving centerpeice?
It was President Lincoln in 1863 that later proclaimed the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving. He was prompted to do this by the ongoing efforts of Sarah Josepha Hale. She was a magazine editor and wrote a number of articles for the cause.
Three of our presidents have been directly involved with the observance of Thanksgiving. First was the historic proclamation that was issued by President George Washington on 3rd October 1789. November 26 was declared as ‘A day of public thanksgiving and prayer’. It was meant to be a day observed by thanking God and being grateful for his favors. During the seventeenth century it was common practice for the individual colonies to observe days of thanksgiving throughout the year. They would set aside a day for prayer and fasting, not a day of feasting as is today’s custom. Then later in the 18th century each one of the states would periodically designate a day of thanksgiving in honor of an adoption of a state constitution, a military victory or an exceptionally bountiful crop. On December of 1777 just such a Thanksgiving Day celebration was held by the colonies nationwide. They commemorated the surrender of British General Burgoyne at Saratoga.
A Fun Little Thanksgiving History Lesson
President Franklin D. Roosevelt later moved the holiday to the third Thursday of November in an effort to extend the Christmas shopping season and boost the economy 1939. In 1941 Roosevelt changed the holiday again back to the fourth Thursday in November, where it stands today due to a storm of protest.
For more interesting facts and lore or some good ideas for Thanksgiving Centerpieces please visit our home page at www.thanksgivingcenterpiece.org
Other Interesting Post About Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving: a history of the holiday
Thanksgiving: a history of the holiday – Most of us in the U.S. consider Thanksgiving an American tradition starting with the Pilgrims celebrating their escape from religious persecution in England.
Thanksgiving Day commemorates the celebration held in 1621 after the first harvest by the Plymouth Colony. The Pilgrims who traveled from England on the Mayflower landed on December 21, 1620.
Turkey How much do you know about the Thanksgiving holiday? What are the origins of this annual celebration? Take the Thanksgiving Trivia Quiz and test your knowledge of Thanksgiving history and lore.
Find Out The Facts About The History Of The Thanksgiving Holiday
There seem to be some confusion about exactly what the history of Thanksgiving is, so I posted a new article on my website to help to try and clear up some of the questions that people ask.
Thanksgiving History and Origins
I mean, I, a huge fan of the Pilgrims and Thanksgiving and True History and all that… have never read William Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation?! What is UP with that?
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