The First Thanksgiving
This
following little piece
is called "The First Thanksgiving" It is from the book "The
Plimoth Colony Cook Book" by the Plymouth Antiquarian Society. Date
Unknown.
The brave
little band of Pilgrims
who landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620 almost perished in the long, hard
winter
because of inadequate supplies and no knowledge of how to conquer the
wilderness
in the New World. They found unexpected assistance in the last
days
of the winter when an armed Indian, Samoset, walked into their council
meeting and amazed them by saying in English,
"Welcome!"
Samoset, an Abenaki Indian, had heard of the landing of the English
Party.
He helped them by acting as ambassador between the Pilgrims and
Massasoit,
the Wampanoag chief. Later tow other English speaking Indians
appeared,
Tisquantum, usually called Squanto, and Hobomok. Each in his way
was a tower of strength in the early struggles of the Pilrims. They
taught
them the lore of the forest, methods of fishing and hunting, and first
introduced them to the growing of corn which they planted along with
their
supplies of wheat and rye seed. At the first harvest
in the fall of 1621, Indians and Pilgrims joined for a harvest feat and
celebration, with the Indian and Pilgrim hunters supplying deer, duck
and
geese. Although the feast was in October, it was the forerunner
of
our own Thankgsgiving celebration, first proclaimed by President
Lincoln
in 1863 for the last Thursday in November.
Plymouth
Curiosities
Cran Berry or
Bearberry, because
the bears use much to feed upon them, is a small trayling plant that
grows
in salt marshes that are overgrown with moss. The Berries are of
a pale yellow color after-ward red, as big as a cherry; some perfectly
round, others oval; all of them hollow with a sower astringent taste;
they
are ripe in August and September. The Indians and English use them much
boyling them with Sugar for Sauce to eat with their meat; ant it is a
delicate
sauce, especially for roasted Mutton; Some make tarts with them as with
Goose Berries.
From
NEW ENGLAND'S
RARITIES
DISCOVERED
BY John Josselyn
(1672)
This was take
from the book
"The Plimoth Colony Cookbook" published by the Plymouth Antiquarian
Society
Native American Prayer
of Thanksgiving
from the St.Labre
Indian
School and Home
O Great Spirit,
Creator and
source of every blessing, we pray that you will bring peace to all our
brothers and sisters of this world. Give us wisdom to teach our
children
to love, to respect and to be kind to each other. Help us to
learn
to share all the good things that you provide for us. Bless all
who
share this meal with us today. We ask your special blessing on
those
who are hungry today, especially little children. Help us to be
just
and to bring your peace to all the earth. Praise and Thanksgiving
be to you, my Lord. Amen
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Twas the Night Before
Thanksgiving School children on a field trip to Mack Nugget's farm save
the lives of
eight turkeys in this poem based on "The Night Before Christmas." For
Ages 4-8 Click
Here to Save off Publishers Price!
The Thanksgiving Ceremony:
New Traditions for America's Family Feast When we think about Thanksgiving we contemplate
history, the autumn
harvest, and, of course, eating turkey and watching football. But most
of all, we think about family, friends, and the bounty of our country.
Edward Bleier’s The Thanksgiving Ceremony introduces a
brand-new tradition for the Thanksgiving table, offering a wonderful
way for all Americans to give thanks and rejoice in the sense of
togetherness and community this special holiday brings.
The
heart of the book is a participatory ceremony designed to be read aloud
around the table. It recounts the story of the early settlers and the
challenges they, and all subsequent immigrant generations, faced. The
ceremony provides roles for guests of all ages and takes about twenty
minutes.
There is also a brief history of Thanksgiving, as
well as a wide array of poems, hymns, songs, prayers, and readings that
enable families to create and customize their own ceremony, including
pieces by Maya Angelou, Irving Berlin, Woodie Guthrie, and Emily
Dickinson.
As William Safire writes in his foreword, “Getting
together for a grand dinner party may be glorious fun, but a holiday
should have a focus”—one that reminds us why we celebrate it. This
long-overdue book offers that focus in a short, elegant format that any
gathering of family and friends can participate in, and enjoy, for many
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Today and Save **********
Thanksgiving Recipes
A
Pilgrim Breakfast
Here are 4
recipes from
"The Plimoth
Colony Cook Book"
These are
recipes for a Pilgrim
Breakfast that is served at the Harlow Old Fort House in Plymouth, Ma.
These breakfasts are served outdoors in the summertime and they are
served
by waitresses dressed as pilgrims.
Add the
spices and salt to
the heated cider and simmer 10-15 minutes. Makes 24 punch cup
servings.
HARLOW
HOUSE DOUGHNUTS
often called
"Wonders"
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
2 beaten eggs
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon
butter, melted
3-4 cups flour
4 teaspoons
baking powder
1/2 teaspoon
nugmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
Beat sugar,
eggs and milk together,
add butter. Sift the 3 cups of flour with the rest of the
ingredients
and then add to the first mixture and stir until smooth. Add more
flour, if necessary, to make a soft dough. Chill dough
overnight.
Roll out on floured board and cut with a doughnut cutter. Fry in
fat hot enough to brown a 1 inch cube of bread in 40 seconds,(375
degrees
F.) As doughnuts rise to the top, turn and brown on the other
side.
Remove, drain on
absorbent paper.
HARLOW
HOUSE BAKED BEANS
Ingredients:
2 pounds pea
beans
1 onion
2 teaspoons
mustard
1/2 cup molasses
2 tablespoons
salt
3/8 pound salt
pork
Pick over,
wash and soak the
beans overnight. In the morning, drain, rinse and cover with cold
water, bring to a boil and cook until the beans can be pierced with a
pin.
Drain, put in bean pot with an onion in the bottom. Add mustard,
molasses, and salt. Scrape and score the pork and bury it in the
beans so that only the top shows. Cover with water and bake in a
slow oven (300 degrees F) for about 6 hours, adding water as needed.
Uncover
the pot for the last hour to brown the pork. 6-8 servings.
Harlow
House Fish Cakes
Ingredients:
4 cups potatoes,
cut in 1
inch cubes
1 cup salt fish,
picked and
shredded
2 slightly
beaten eggs
Boil together
the potatoes
and fish until potatoes are tender. Drain, mash and beat in the
eggs.
Drop by spoonfuls in hot fat (390 degrees F) and fry for 1
minute.
Drain on absorben paper. 6-8 servings.
