A Celebration of Plenty
Most people think Thanksgiving dinner is incomplete without mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. It might surprise you to learn that not one of those foods was served during the 1621 celebration we think of as “The First Thanksgiving.” Actually, the event itself was not even a Thanksgiving observation. Instead, to the English colonists we now call “Pilgrims,” it was a harvest celebration.
Coming to a New World
In 1620, one hundred and two English men, women, and children crossed
the Atlantic to begin a new life. They landed in what we now call
Massachusetts, an area that had been home to the Wampanoag Nation for
thousands of years. The English chose a site that had been a Native village,
Patuxet. Several years earlier, the village had been wiped out when all
the people who lived there died from diseases brought by Europeans. The
colonists renamed the town New Plymouth.
The first winter was deadly. Arriving later than planned, the English were forced to build houses during the icy winter weather. Soon sickness spread among them, and half of them died. Fortunately, the illnesses ended by springtime. Living conditions improved as some of the houses were finished and the weather warmed. Gardens and the first crops were planted.
Governor William Bradford later wrote, “They began now to gather in the small harvest they had, and to fit up their houses and dwellings against winter, being all well recovered in health and strength, and had all things in good plenty.”
Celebrating the Harvest
The only eyewitness account of the 1621 celebration is found in a
letter that colonist Edward Winslow wrote on December 11, 1621.
“Our harvest being gotten in, our Governor sent four men on fowling,
that so we might after a more special manner rejoice together.”
The event was probably held in early autumn. The last crop, Indian corn, had just been harvested, and the fall migration of birds had begun. Ducks, geese, swans, and other waterfowl would have been thick on the ponds, streams, and marshes. Wild turkeys would have been plentiful in the surrounding forest. Winslow’s letter, however, does not mention them specifically, so turkey may or may not have been served.
Coming Together
Early in the celebration, Massasoit, a Wampanoag leader, and ninety
Native men visited New Plymouth. Some historians believe that the
booming noise from the English hunting party attracted their attention.
Perhaps they came to investigate because they were worried that the
English were preparing for war.
While we don’t know for sure why Massasoit
and the Native men came, we do know that they were welcomed and that
they stayed for three days. At some point, perhaps a few Wampanoag
women and children joined them.
In his letter, Winslow wrote that the Wampanoag “went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the Plantation and bestowed on our Governor, and upon the Captain, and others.” He also mentioned that the English “exercised” their arms, practicing military drills.
Unfortunately, his letter omitted many details about those three days of celebration. Where did so many people eat? Who did all the cooking? Exactly what entertainments did they have?
Following the English custom, the colonial leaders may have invited Massasoit and his advisors to join them at a “high table,” where the best foods were served. There would have been important business for the leaders to discuss.
At that time, only seven houses had been built in New Plymouth. It is likely that the celebration and cooking took place both outside as well as indoors. Over those three days, large amounts of venison and wildfowl would have been spit-roasted or stewed in large iron kettles over fires.
Feasting and Visiting
We know the feast included lots of venison, several types of wild
fowl, and Indian corn. Some fish, eels, and shellfish—mussels,
clams, crabs, and lobsters—were also available. Vegetables such as pompion
(squash), spinach, onions, and parsley might have been harvested from
English gardens.
People also may have enjoyed some fresh fruit, like
grapes and plums, that grew wild. But there was no cranberry sauce,
and potatoes were not eaten by either the English or the Wampanoag.
Stewed pumpkin was very likely served, but not as pumpkin pie. Since
the sugar supply may have been very limited, there were probably
few desserts.
It took a lot of work to pull off such a big event—especially for the English, who acted as the hosts. But the combination of feasting and “entertainments” must have made those days enjoyable. Besides military exercises, there may have been singing, dancing, and games for everyone.
For three days, these two different cultures feasted
and visited. In spite of not speaking
a common language, they likely enjoyed the time spent together—sharing
one another’s company in that year’s special celebration of plenty.
