Chief Massasoit presents items NOT supplied for the first Thanksgiving, circa 1621 (only slide)
- deep-fried turkey
- cranberry sauce
- potatoes, white or sweet
- pie of any kind (there were pumpkins, though).
Pilgrim chef suggests the following harvest feast, circa 1621 (second slide)
- wild fowl
- lobsters, mussels
- “sallet herbs” (whatever they are)
- black and red plums
- flint corn
- venison (thanks to Chief Massasoit and Wampanoag tribe for providing).
Sarah Josepha Hale, editor Godey’s Lady’s Book, presents: Let’s invent a holiday, circa 1854 (slide 3)
- roast turkey
- savory stuffing
- pumpkin pie
- Indians? What Indians?
Abraham Lincoln proclaims Thanksgiving an annual holiday in 1863 (fifth slide)
- in the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity
- still, should set apart and observe the last Thursday of November, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens
- family bickering a part of the holiday — be happy with bickering compared to civil war.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt declares that Thanksgiving would be the next to last Thursday of November, 1939 (second slide)
- depression sucks
- can’t advertise Christmas until after Turkey Day
- this gives merchants a longer period to sell goods before Christmas.
In 1941 Congress decides the last Thursday of November as Thanksgiving (only slide)
- ‘Franksgiving’ not celebrated by every state
- Split difference — sometimes Abe’s day, sometimes Franky-boy’s.
Arlo Guthrie presents Alice’s Restaurant Massacre in 1967 (only slide)
- two Thanksgivings ago helped Alice (great dinner)
- dumped garbage illegally (dump closed for T-day)
- got ticket, convicted (had to pick up garbage)
- no fit serve in Vietnam (and kill a bunch of people) because I was a litterbug.
Happy Thanksgiving (a day early) to everyone in the States!
Weekend
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