The First Thanksgiving Feast

The first thanksgiving feast didn't have turkey or pie. The Plymouth colonist and the Wampanoag Indians ate venison and wild fowl (all right, maybe one of those wild birds was a turkey, but not as big as those we eat today). Another thing they didn't have was forks, instead they ate with knives, spoons, their hands and cloth napkins (which they used to pick up the food and to wipe their mouths).

Thanksgiving is a harvest festival and the reason for harvest festivals is to express gratitude and give thanks. The participants in harvest festivals give thanks for the abundance of the Earth, for the crop and the abundance of wild life, which provides food all year around.

In our modern society, we sometimes forget to express our thanks for the abundance of the ground. In cities, we go to the store and buy our produce and meat. However, we need to remember that these things come from farmers who plant crops and raise animals for us to eat. Even if we don't eat meat, we need to express our thanks to the farmers who grow the vegetables.

Today is a day to express our gratitude to everyone who has helped us survive the past 12 months. So say "Thank You" to someone who has helped you survive in this modern society. For information about Thanksgiving, see The History of Thanksgiving.