When push chairs the Thanksgiving table Thursday mentally congratulate the pilgrims to invent a sumptuous feast – although the menu then was significantly different.

Celebrations of harvest, however, has been common since ancient times. The first in the United States found December 4 1619, by the settlers at Berkeley Hundred, Virginia They decreed that "the day of the arrival of our boat is annual and perpetually kept holy as a day of action thanksgiving to God Almighty. "

This first holiday did not have a banquet. For pilgrims, therefore, goes the credit for roast turkey.

The entire ritual of Thanksgiving today is derived from two paragraphs of a letter from the Pilgrim Edward Winslow to a friend in England. He wrote that the first harvest 1621 was a mixed success. The corn had been "well," barley "indifferent good, but the peas had failed and not" worth the penalty the match. "

However, the pilgrims had reason to be grateful. The colony had survived a terrible first year in which almost half of the 103 settlers had died. Massasoit, Sagamore (Chief) of the Wampanoag, had promised peace.

In addition, an Indian named Squanto had moved to teach wilderness skills. Squanto spoke English, a great service to support good relations with various local native tribes. He had been Shanghaied by white fishermen, sold into slavery in Spain, escaped to England and worked his way back to the New World on a British fishing boat.

Chief Massasoit was entertaining two emissaries of peace warmly during a visit to his people that spring. It was considered appropriate to return the hospitality after harvest when there was not enough food, and the colony appeared strong. Squanto was dispatched with an invitation.

"Our harvest being gotten in," Winslow wrote, "our Governor (William Bradford) sent four men on fowling for us in a special manner rejoice together after more we had gathered the fruit of our work.

"Besides the four in one day killed as much fowl, as with little help beside, who works the company almost a week, at which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms (pistols).

"Many of the Indians came amongst us, and among the rest of their greatest king Massasoit, with some 90 men for three days entertained and feasted. "

The pilgrims had assumed Massasoit attend the party with a small and personal entourage. A company of hungry savages must have been a shock for the five midwives in the colony who had to cook for many unexpected guests.

The only food was served registered venison, turkey and cornbread. However, we can be sure that 145 people in a party of three days eat anything that might scratch. From contemporary accounts, we can reconstruct the probable "fixations."

Roasted turkey is filled with a cornbread dressing and sage. Venison was presented as a stew and a roast haunch. There were Canada goose and duck Canvasback.

From the bay was cod, bass, lobsters, eels, clams (called slams) and oysters (called muskler). The fish were wrapped in mud, Indian style, cooked in the coals. The shellfish that have been baked in their shells and chopped clams in a soup known as nasaump.

Very few were served. The English had little taste for them, and green wild sallets "spring had long gone to seed. Leeks were probably the only fresh food available.

There would have been crackers, bread of the dwindling supply of wheat flour brought over on the Mayflower. The corn was beaten into flour and baked in stone "cakes hoe. "These may have been spread sparingly with butter salt, also brought from England in barrels a year earlier.

Dried fruit provide variety in the menu. These include raisins, plums, strawberries, currants, cherries, blueberries and peanuts known as Bogbean. The ladies may have some of oven in these cases, the mass – the precursor to the famous American Pie.

For dessert there was cake is Indian corn meal and molasses boiled in a bag.

To wash it all there was a weak barley beer, no doubt enhanced by the last of the brandy brought from England – and the new wine from grapes native concord.

The Indians introduced the colonists to a new dish popcorn balls made with maple syrup.

Several new favorite England in recent years had disappeared from the Thanksgiving holiday first.

There was cider or apple pie, for orchards had not yet been planted. There was no meat, cheese, cream or milk because cows were not imported. Cranberry sauce was still unknown because there is no sugar was available to tame the bitter berry. Pumpkin pie was not on the menu for the pilgrims had not yet acquired a taste for India or the staple learned to grow.

In between bouts with trenchers (wooden plates), men and children participate in foot races, jumping, wrestling, archery and pistol, and stool ball. The latter was a favorite sport like croquet more violent.

Captain Miles Standish pierced pilgrim Guard marches, wheels and dashes – concluding with a mass dismissal of guns and cannons. At night, the Indians performed their dance of the corn crop.

Massasoit Braves were so pleased with the party remained until the food ran out. Although the precious store of food pilgrims was dangerously depleted, they did not begrudge the party.

Bradford summed it all up 30 years later in his history of Plymouth Colony:

"They were ready to perish in the desert, but cried to the Lord, and heard his voice, and looked in her adversity. That, therefore praise the Lord, for He is good and his mercy endure forever! "

23 November 1985.

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Lindsey Williams is a Sun columnist who can be contacted at:

LinWms@earthlink.net or LinWms@lindseywilliams.org

Website: http://www.lindseywilliams.org with over a thousand of Lin’s Editorial & At Large articles written over 40 years.

Also featured in its entirety is Lin’s groundbreaking book “Boldly Onward,” that critically analyzes and develops theories about the original Spanish explorers of America. (fully indexed/searchable)

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