The first Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621. It was an affair that took up to 3 days to celebrate. The local Indian tribe of about 90 Wampanoag and 53 pilgrims celebrated their friendship with a great meal. The meal probably consisted of venison and seal due to the abundance of both of these animals. The rest of the meal was just as different as the main course was as compared to our modern typical Thanksgiving meal. There was a vegetable soup as well as oysters from the ocean since they were in Massachusetts.
Key Takeaways:
- The pilgrims had a variety of meat and cooking techniques gained from the local tribes.
- Butter, milk, and imports were scarce, so most of the offerings were from native Massachusetts crops.
- Potatoes were not even introduced to America yet, as they were brought at a later date by the Spanish. No mashed potatoes!
“This is actually a tradition with Native-Americans, who would always thank an animal or plant for surrendering their life so that they may live.”