Thanksgiving has become a massive holiday in the United States. It is a celebrated occasion that brings together family and friends and kicks off the winter holiday season.
In 1621, it is likely that the feast looked a little different compared to today’s standard Thanksgiving table. According to Virginia Tech News, early settlers would have served venison, cod, bass, corn, and fowl instead of the turkey, potatoes, stuffing, and gravy people are accustomed to today.
As part of a women’s magazine named Godey’s Lady’s Book, editor Sarah Josepha Hale wrote to advocate for Thanksgiving to become a holiday. She added recipes that she believed would be adequate for the meal. Virginia Tech states that her efforts proved successful when President Abraham Lincoln announced in 1863 that Thanksgiving would officially become a national holiday. However, Lincoln did not connect the newly pronounced holiday to the original Colonial event. To him, Thanksgiving was meant to represent the unity of the United States.
However widely discussed or hated upon, the turkey tends to be the star of most Thanksgiving dinners. Turkeys are native birds to North America and were readily available to early settlers. By the 19th century, turkeys had become symbols of American tradition and unity. According to Britannica, writers such as Sarah Josepha Hale popularized the turkey as a part of the holiday. Their size (large enough to feed a family) and abundance allowed them to take center stage; not to mention, turkeys on a family farm were almost always available for slaughter.
While the turkey does tend to hog most of the attention, most Americans know Thanksgiving is incomplete without a good side. Side dishes hold many traditions within families because they are undemanding, allowing family members to collaborate stress-free.
A Washingtonville senior, Evangeline DeMarco, “make[s] mac and cheese with [her] mom every Thanksgiving, and while the recipe itself isn't sentimental, the memories and time spent with [her] mom [is] something [she] will cherish.”
Not only are sides a staple on any holiday table, they have also evolved over time. In the south, stuffing, or dressing, is a mixture of chestnuts, herbs, and onions that was used to fill fowl at the first Thanksgiving, but has since become a beloved side dish made with bread and herbs.
Potatoes were introduced to the Americas in the 17th century, so they were likely not present at the first Thanksgiving. However, according to the Library of Congress, the mashed potatoes known and loved today were first introduced in The Art of Cookery, a cookbook by Hannah Glass in 1747.
Cranberries are one fruit Native Americans had been eating for centuries before the first feast, even as a sauce. However, it is likely that ‘cranberry sauce' did not join the table until after sugar was readily available to add. The Library of Congress states that Ocean Spray “revolutionized the cranberry harvesting process in the early 1800s–began crushing the berries into canned jellied cranberry sauce.” This allowed for easy access to cranberry sauce each holiday season.
For some, the grand finale of any Thanksgiving dinner is the dessert. While some enjoy cheesecake, cookies, and even the occasional turkey shaped cupcake, it is expected that pumpkin pie will be a part of the spread. The Library of Congress confirms that Native Americans had been consuming baked pumpkins as desserts before the holiday in 1621. Yet again, Sarah Hale can be thanked for popularizing the recipe to create the sentimental treat when the supplies of butter, wheat flour, and sugar became available.
Each dish served at the Thanksgiving table holds sentimental value, carrying memories and traditions passed down through generations. For Monroe Woodbury Middle School teacher Erin Robinson, who hosts the holiday at her house in Delaware each year, one particular dish stands out: cranberry sauce. “It is the one thing we have at Thanksgiving that is exactly as we had it from childhood,” she shared. While the recipe is simple, it holds a special place in her heart because of the process of preparing it. “I love that we use my grandma’s old-fashioned food mill to make it the perfect consistency. My niece enjoys making it with me using the old equipment, and our family continues to enjoy it at the Thanksgiving dinners I now host.”
Thanksgiving dishes are more than just parts of a meal. They represent history, gratitude, and tradition. While recipes continue to change, the purpose of the holiday stays the same; celebrating the people and moments we are most thankful for.
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