BLATHER REVIEW

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ah, the one day of the year when it's okay to say that gluttony is good.

The pilgrims arrived in the New World in November, 1620. Being outside the bounds of English law, some passengers began -- while still aboard the Mayflower while anchored off of Cape Cod -- to assert their complete freedom from obedience to the leaders and to the group. In order to make their first attempt at their new life (and with the coming winter), the passengers negotiated the Mayflower Compact in which all of the men agreed to follow laws drawn up by the group as a whole. Democracy had arrived in America.

After a brief stay in what is now Provincetown, Massachussetts (and a not-so-friendly run-in with the locals, they sailed further up the coast and settled in Plymouth on December 21st, 1620. The winter was harsh and the available food was precious. They had gotten used to fasting regularly in order to conserve what was available and to pray for success during this difficult time.

In the spring they planted and while the soil was rich, there were many mouths to feed and it took a while for the plantation to show what it could do. After the harvest someone called for another day of fasting to acknowledge that the harvest would need to last the winter and to pray for another successful year in the New World. But then someone else called for a feast in order to celebrate the bountiful harvest and to give thanks to G-d for having provided such a fertile new home. The feast idea won out, and the first Thanksgiving Day was celebrated.

Every year since that autumn day in 1621, a day of Thanksgiving has been observed. So, with that in mind, have some appetizers all day, fill the house with the aromas that come with cooking a twelve course meal and eat up!

Lots to read about the original pilgrims' voyage and early settlement here. I'm off to my sister's house for the annual gathering. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Posted by Tuning Spork at November 24, 2005 12:15 PM | TrackBack