THANKSGIVING IN U.S.A.

The History of Thanksgiving and its Celebrations

Thanksgiving Day in America is a time to offer thanks, of family gatherings and holiday meals. A time of turkeys, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. A time for Indian corn, holiday parades and giant balloons

Throughout history mankind has celebrated the bountiful harvest with thanksgiving ceremonies.

Before the establishment of formal religions many ancient farmers believed that their crops contained spirits which caused the crops to grow and die. Many believed that these spirits would be released when the crops were harvested and they had to be destroyed or they would take revenge on the farmers who harvested them. Some of the harvest festivals celebrated the defeat of these spirits.

Harvest festivals and thanksgiving celebrations were held by the ancient Greeks, the Romans, the Hebrews, the Chinese, and the Egyptians

The United States

The Pilgrims and America's First Thanksgiving

The Pilgrims, who celebrated the first thanksgiving in America, were fleeing religious persecution in their native England. In 1609 a group of Pilgrims left England for the religious freedom in Holland where they lived and prospered. After a few years their children were speaking Dutch and had become attached to the dutch way of life. This worried the Pilgrims. They considered the Dutch frivolous and their ideas a threat to their children's education and morality.

So they decided to leave Holland and travel to the New World. Their trip was financed by a group of English investors, the Merchant Adventurers. It was agreed that the Pilgrims would be given passage and supplies in exchange for their working for their backers for 7 years

In 1621, after a hard and devastating first year in the New World the Pilgrim's fall harvest was very successful and plentiful. There was corn, fruits, vegetables, along with fish which was packed in salt, and meat that was smoke cured over fires. They found they had enough food to put away for the winter.

The Pilgrims had beaten the odds. They built homes in the wilderness, they raised enough crops to keep them alive during the long coming winter, and they were at peace with their Indian neighbors. Their Governor, William Bradford, proclaimed a day of thanksgiving that was to be shared by all the colonists and the neighboring Native American Indians.

The custom of an annually celebrated thanksgiving, held after the harvest, continued through the years. During the American Revolution (late 1770's) a day of national thanksgiving was suggested by the Continental Congress.

In 1817 New York State adopted Thanksgiving Day as an annual custom. By the middle of the 19th century many other states also celebrated a Thanksgiving Day. In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln appointed a national day of thanksgiving. Since then each president has issued a Thanksgiving Day proclamation, usually designating the fourth Thursday of each November as the holiday.

The Thanksgiving Turkey

Of all the Thanksgiving symbols the Turkey has become the most well known. The wild turkey is native to northern Mexico and the eastern United States

The turkey has brown features with buff-colored feathers on the tips of the wing and on the tail. The male turkey is called a Tom and, as with most birds, is bigger and has brighter and more colorful plumage. The female is called a Hen and is generally smaller and drab in color. The Tom turkey has a long wattle (a fleshy, wrinkled, brightly colored fold of skin hanging from the neck or throat)at the base of its bill and additional wattles on the neck, as well as a prominent tuft of bristles resembling a beard projecting downward from its chest.

Though there is no real evidence that turkey was served at the Pilgrim's first thanksgiving, in a book written by the Pilgrim's Governor Bradford he does make mention of wild turkeys. In a letter sent to England, another Pilgrim describes how the governor sent "four men out fowling" returning with turkeys, ducks and geese.

Benjamin Franklin said:

"I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen as the representative of our country: he is a Bird of bad moral character: like those among Men who live by Sharping and Robbing, he is generally poor and very often lousy.
The Turkey is a much more respectable Bird and withal a true original Native of North America"

Thanksgiving Recipes

Here are some Thanksgiving recipes to help make your holiday a fun and tasty one!

Turkey Recipes

Herb-Roasted Turkey with Citrus Glaze

Serving Size: 22

Ingredients:
• 1 15-Pound WHOLE TURKEY fresh or frozen (thawed)
• 3 Large lemons
• 2 Large limes
• 1-1/2 Teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 Teaspoon black pepper coarsely ground
• 1/4 Cup dry white wine (see note)
• 1/4 Cup packed brown sugar
• Pan Gravy
• 1 Bunch, each fresh sage, marjoram, and thyme, divided
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. Remove giblets and neck from turkey; reserve for gravy. Rinse turkey with cold running water and drain well. Blot dry with paper towels.
3. Peel skin from lemons and limes to make rose garnishes. Reserve in refrigerator. Squeeze enough juice from the lemons and limes to equal 2 tablespoons each. Cut the remaining lemons and limes in half and place in the turkey cavity. Sprinkle salt in the cavity.
4. In a small bowl, mix the wine, brown sugar, and citrus juices; reserve for glaze.
5. Gently loosen skin from the turkey breast without totally detaching the skin and carefully place 1 tablespoon each fresh sage and marjoram under the skin. Replace the skin.
6. Fold neck skin and fasten to the back with 1 or 2 skewers.
7. Fold the wings under the back of the turkey. Return legs to tucked position.
8. Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a large shallow (about 2-1/2 inches deep) roasting pan.
9. Rub turkey with salt, pepper, and 2 to 3 tablespoons of salad oil. Insert oven-safe meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, being careful that the pointed end of the thermometer does not touch the bone.
10. Roast the turkey in a preheated 325 degree F. oven about 3-3/4 hours.
11. During the last hour of roasting time, baste with the pan drippings.
12. During the last 30 minutes, baste with the citrus glaze.
13. Loosely cover with lightweight foil to prevent excessive browning.
14. Continue to roast until the thermometer registers 180 degrees F. in the thigh, or 170 degrees F. in the breast.
15. Remove turkey from the oven and allow it to rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.
16. Place on a warm large platter and garnish the platter with the remaining fresh herbs and lemon and lime roses.
17. Prepare lemon and lime roses as follows: with a small sharp knife or vegetable peeler, cut a continuous thin 1-inch strip of peel. Avoid cutting into the white pith. Roll tightly, skin inside out, and secure with toothpicks. Reserve in a bowl filled with ice water until time for service.
18. Provides 22 servings at 6 ounces per portion.
19. Note: Alcohol-free wine may be substituted for the dry white wine.