September 1620 – The Mayflower left England, carrying over one hundred people. Some were looking for a new home where they could freely practice their faith and others were led by a promise of prosperity and land ownership in the “New World.” The ship dropped anchor near Cape Cod, then made its way to what is now known as Plymouth, Massachusetts. There, one of the many things the new settlers learned, was how to harvest corn, which turned into a success.
It was in 1621 that the harvest feast, shared by the English colonists (better known as Pilgrims) of Plymouth and the Wampanoag people, became known as the ‘First Thanksgiving’ – a day of giving thanks and sacrifice for the blessing of the harvest. The feast lasted for three days.
It wasn’t until many years later that ‘Thanksgiving’ finally became a National Holiday.
“Thanksgiving Day did not become an official holiday until Northerners dominated the federal government. While sectional tensions prevailed in the mid-19th century, the editor of the popular magazine Godey’s Lady’s Book, Sarah Josepha Hale, campaigned for a national Thanksgiving Day to promote unity. She finally won the support of President Abraham Lincoln. On October 3, 1863, during the Civil War, Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday, November 26.”
Silverman, D. J. (2021, September 25). Thanksgiving Day. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Thanksgiving-Day
The history of Thanksgiving was taught to us as kids and as we grow up, we tend to forget these history lessons of sort. We get side tracked by our busy lives and our day to day responsibilities. Thanksgiving is that one holiday every year that is celebrated by all people with different backgrounds, religions and beliefs. It’s the day that most people stop to appreciate the friends and family in their lives (and pumpkin pie).
Most Thanksgiving celebrations are the same for many Americans, the Thanksgiving meal or feast includes turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie, is that what you are serving this year? Many dishes prepared for Thanksgiving can cause you a bit of a headache if one of your guests is careless or there is a spill, but no need to worry – everything on a Thanksgiving table is pretty easy to clean up, so you can spend the time with your friends and family instead of on your hands and knees cleaning up a mess.
Key ingredients when cleaning up after a large meal with a spot or spill: baking soda, soda water, a damp cloth, a dry cloth, and some patience. The steps are fast and self explanatory, blot the spill with the dry cloth to soak up any liquid or debris, dab a little soda water on the spill with the damp cloth, and continue to blot until the spot disappears.
Now that the spot has gone away, you can go and be with your friends and loved ones and enjoy the day of giving thanks.
Happy Thanksgiving!