Thankgiving Trivia
VickieB
first TG--it was mostly fish, cod, lobster .. and a pilgrim diary said seal.
Mmmm, seal. The Indians killed 4 deer to bring to the feast.
v
When was the first Thanksgiving celebration held?
The Plymouth Pilgrims held their first Thanksgiving celebration in the fall
of 1621.
What was the reason for holding a Thanksgiving celebration?
On December 11, 1620 the first Pilgrims (or Puritans, as they were initially
known) landed at Plymouth Rock. By the fall of 1621, of the hundred or so
passengers who had sailed on the Mayflower, only half were still alive. (Of
these, only four were adult women and almost forty percent were children.)
The survivors, thankful to be still alive, decided to give a feast.
What was the name of the Wampanoag chief that was invited to the first
Thanksgiving feast?
His name was Massasoit. Some ninety Wampanoag tribesmen were present at the
feast.
What was the name of the Pilgrim leader who invited the neighboring
Wampanoag to the first Thanksgiving?
It was Governor William Bradford who invited them. The reason they were
invited is because they were the ones who taught the Pilgrims to cultivate
the land, thus making it possible for them to survive.
How long did the first Thanksgiving celebration last?
It lasted three days (the celebration consisted of games as well as food).
Which president proclaimed the first "National Day of Thanksgiving"?
George Washington (in 1789 and then again in 1795).
Even though Thanksgiving was observed most years, it was not an official
holiday. What is the name of the woman credited with making Thanksgiving a
national holiday?
Sarah Josepha Hale, a magazine editor. She began her Thanksgiving campaign
in 1827.
Which president made Washington's "National Day of Thanksgiving" a national
holiday?
On October 3, 1863 Abraham Lincoln issued a "Thanksgiving Proclamation" that
made the last Thursday in November a national holiday. (Before that, the
president had to make an annual proclamation naming the day when
Thanksgiving was going to be held.)
Who was the last president to change the date of the Thanksgiving holiday?
President Franklin D. Roosevelt changed Thanksgiving to the Thursday before
last (the reason was to make the Christmas shopping season longer and thus
stimulate the economy).
What happened in 1941?
Congress passed an official proclamation naming Thanksgiving a legal holiday
to be observed, from that date forward, on the fourth Thursday in November.
Last but not least...
Who wanted to make the turkey the national bird of the United States of
America?
Benjamin Franklin, but he was opposed by Thomas Jefferson. Legend has it
that Franklin then named the male turkey a "tom turkey" to spite Jefferson.
(The female is called a "hen turkey" and the baby a "poult.")
What part of the turkey is used in a good luck ritual?
The wishbone.
What drink did the Puritans bring with them in the Mayflower?
Beer.
http://chicago.about.com/cs/events1/a/thanksgiving.htm
v
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http://soonerblue.bloghi.com/
DittyDu...@webtv.net
A Thanksgiving ceremony was held on shipboard at Jamestown, Virginia,
December 4, 1609
They were thankful for having survived the long voyage.
Another claim that may surface at some future time concerns a harvest
Thanksgiving celebration at the farms and plantations along the James
River near Charles City beginning a few years after
the original colony was started ca 1612 1613? preceded Bacon's
Rebellion. Berkeley is claiming a Thanksgiving in 1619, but that
house wasn't even built until 1728 (my opinion is that 1619 was chosen
to be the date in order to incorporate the arrival of the first African
slaves, which is not proveable, as the first blacks were indentured
servants, same as the white indentured servants of the time. That fact
will probly be lost soon in the revision. Bacon's Rebellion started
ca 1647, on the frontier among the frontiersmen, It was frowned upon by
the local govt. The harvest Thanksgivings are mentioned among some
obscure family stories of the frontier farmers that the gatherings
were on the larger farms in the Charles City area. on the James
River. Nobody cares at this late date. Only a historian with an axe
to grind would dig that out, then get laughed at by Berkeley. Blake