OK, Thanksgiving... Same game as with Halloween, just that it's not known at all here. As always, was wondering why, so I was doing some research, and this is what I have learned:
Thanksgiving is a family tradition and it started a long time ago and it continues down the generations. It's an american holiday, but as what i have heard from friends, Canada celebrate Thanksgiving as well.
When people think about Thanksgiving Day today, this ivoques visions of a wonderful laid outtable, covered with linen and delicious food. Actually, foods are basically the same as they were back when Thanksgiving day was celebrated for the first time.
When the pioneers came to America they were surprised by all the goods they didn't know until then, but now, they are a part of the Thanksgiving table. The pioneers mentionned came from a lot of different countries, most of them from Europe, in the beginning. People came from England to Virginia in 1607, and to New England in 1620. People from The Netherlands settled in New York in 1623, the Finns and Swedes went to Delaware from 1620 till 1630. English Quakers came to Pennsylvania in 1681 and the Germans around 1690.
Many plants they saw when they came to America were unfamiliar to them, so they didn't really know which ones they could eat, and which ones they couldn't eat. So the Native Americans helped them, and the Europeans just survived cause of their help. The Europeans were introduced to lima beans, peppers, pumpkins, corn, sweet potatoes etc.
Corn was a vegetable they could boil, make into pudding and bread. The Indians taught them to grow beans up cornstalks and save a lot of land and space that way. The vegetables were harvested and cooked together, and they made a popular dish of succotash.
But these people were used to "eat and run" because they often didn't have any chairs, and their table was usually made from simple planks of wood.
Dinnerware was hard to come by. Often, spoons were made out of wood and very cretive ones were made out of seashells or walnut shells attached with twig handles. Pewter came a lot later, because it was very expensive. Forks were not known until around 1750. People didn't really have the time to sit down and thank for what they had, there was a lot to be done. so it wasn't really the way as it is now.
Some families used stale bread instead of wood blocks to eat on. The food was poured on the bread so they could entirely eat it.
Cups were normally shared around the table. They were made of wood and called 'noggin'. It usually contained beer or cider.
If ther had no spoons and forks, they usually ate their dish with their fingers, but, they did have napkins! They just used them the same way as they are used today.
Lots of different types of poultry could be found in the 'New World' but there is only one really associated with Thanksgiving Day: The turkey! Benjamin Franklin tought that the turkey was such a noble bird that he wanted to to be the national bird of America, rather than the eagle! Turkeys could be huge those days, some weighted over 30 pounds!
As I said before, sweet potatoes were also unfamiliar to the pioneers. They were introduced from overseas, and people even refused to eat tomatoes (they tought they were poisoned) until the American Revolution.
Each family adds it's own special touch to the menu for Thanksgiving... And the main message of Thanksgiving Day is, gather with y