The true story of Thanksgiving

The true story of Thanksgiving -

Today is Thanksgiving in the United States and American families all together to the harvest, family, comes to celebrate the fatherland, and all the good thing that happened last year.

Today we will eat, drink and be merry. We observe parades and (American) football. We remember Brotherhood and the encounter between the pilgrims and Native Americans, and remember the first Thanksgiving with his turkey, corn, gravy, pumpkin pie, and all the other goodies.

Or so the myth goes.

, the actual Thanksgiving has little to do with any of this. Thanksgiving was established in 1863 during the Civil War by Abraham Lincoln. While many other states had a "Thanksgiving", it was to celebrate the harvest, as a country and celebrate unity. The holiday was created, both to do at a time when Americans were most divided, they had ever been-if American identity at stake. Thanksgiving was a way to reunite the country, remember our pioneering spirit, and to heal the wounds of war. It had been a bad year for the Union, and Lincoln needed to strengthen morale. Under pressure from the famous magazine editor Sarah Josepha Hale, Lincoln chose a proclamation to issue the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving explains. Only in 1941 that Congress declared it to be the 4th Thursday.

The actual first "Thanksgiving" was very different than what we imagine. The pilgrims relied heavily on the Native Americans, the first winter in 1620 to survive in the New World and help plant the first crop. Many did not make it, and the other settlers who celebrated the first year of the new crop has to survive (and to be alive) with a solid. The feast was more of a traditional English harvest festival than a true "thanksgiving". It lasted for three days and came sometime between 21 September and 11 November

The food that was we now associate with the holidays mostly unknown to the colonists. Probably not Turkey, but rather waterbirds up close (probably geese). And Hirsch, as Native American chief brought with him five. No potatoes, since they had not yet been introduced, not pumpkin pie, as they had no flour and no cranberries, although some could have been used for their tartness. Only 50 years later, that they were cooked in sugar. There was a lot of salt and probably a lot of seafood, corn, and a few there Greens. However, the meal consisted mainly of meat. Vegetarians were unlucky not good-greens and without tofurkey.

There were about 0 Native Americans and 52 pilgrims at the event, and they played games and did activities to eat out only. They used Squanto as an interpreter, because he spoke a little English, but what they talked about anyone's guess. There are only two surviving records that day, and both omit the details. Everything we think about the holiday, has sensationalized in the last centuries.

Despite the myth of a holiday in its reality does not live up, it is still an important day in American culture. Today the holiday season and the subsequent shopping season begins. More importantly, it is a day when we remember that we are a nation through the good and the bad. We come together, and for at least one day apart put our differences. Around the country and the world, nothing more than each other's company and the belt-bursting meal celebrating the Americans with their friends and family, that comes with it.

And, of course, football.

For more information on the United States, my country and city leaders to visit US travel

Photo Credit :. 1

Share this post