> > >The Way I See It > > >By Sharon Bouchard > > > > > > It's that time of the year when the chief cooks and bottle washers of > the households turn to browse through recipes in anticipation of > Thanksgiving dinner. Boy, it's hard to believe that it's just two weeks > away. It always seems to sneak up on us as a big surprise, yet we have been > giving thanks on the same Thursday in November for how long? Since 1621? > Well, not exactly. > > > > > > The history books tell us that the Pilgrims celebrated the first > Thanksgiving feast in the fall of 1621 to give thanks for the bountiful > harvest and for those who survived the first year in the new land. The > history books also tell us that Massasoit, chief of the Wampanong tribe and > ninety of his braves were invited guests at the first feast. There is no > mention of the Wampanog women. > > > > > > The history books further tell us that Thanksgiving of 1621 was not only > the first, but also the last celebration of its kind for many years to come. > The story goes that though the first harvest was bountiful, the harvests for > the next several years were poor and the influx of new immigrants creating > new mouths to feed prevented the celebration of Thanksgiving being held on > an annual basis. That's what the history books tell us, but I have my own > theory on that subject. > > > > > > It has been documented that of the 102 original Pilgrims that landed in > Plymouth, only 56 were left by the fall of 1621. Of the 56, only 4 were > adult women and there were 2 teenage girls. As previously mentioned, Chief > Massasoit and 90 of his braves were guests at that first Thanksgiving > dinner. A little quick addition will tell you that 56 Pilgrims and 91 > Indians equals 147 people to be cooked for by 4 women and 2 teenage girls. > > > > > > If I had been one of those Pilgrim women, I can tell you I wouldn't have > been too crazy about cooking for that kind of crowd ever again. I have a > feeling that those sweet Puritan ladies probably staged the first women's > protest in the fall of 1622 when told to prepare another banquet. > > > > > > I mean, consider what they went through on that first feast. They had > to do all the pre-Thanksgiving cleaning, even huts and crude cabins had to > be cleaned. Then they had to scrounge up enough eating utensils to service > 147 people, not to mention finding enough tables and chairs. It's not like > they could just call their local rental place to get them. > > > > > > Then the cooking had to be done. The menu consisted of ducks and geese > (there is no proof that they had turkey) lobsters, clams, bass, corn, green > vegetables, venison, cranberries, boiled pumpkins and dried fruit. They had > run out of flour that they had brought from the old country so they didn't > have to bake any pies or bread (small blessing). However, they did have to > make some type of fritter by boiling corn into a mash and then frying it in > venison fat. This foodscape had to be abundant enough to feed 147 people. > > > > > > Just think about that! No gas or electric range, no microwave, no > electric mixers or blenders, no pre-mixed pre-packaged, canned or frozen > anything. > > > > > > Even though the men did the hunting, who do you suppose gutted and > plucked the ducks and geese? Who do you think gutted and cut-up the > venison? Who would you guess cleaned the fish, clams and lobsters and, who > I ask you, do you think picked all the vegetables? I'll tell you. Four > women and 2 teenage girls, that's who. This little sit-down shindig for 147 > people was cooked in cast iron pots over open fire by 4 women and 2 > teenagers. I find that absolutely amazing. > > > > > > Then of course there was the cleanup after the meal and all those dishes > to be washed. We're not talking about use of a dishwasher here, we're not > even talking about a sink with hot and cold running water. Pots of boiling > water that had to be lugged from the local creek, that's what we're talking > about. > > > > > > And just what do you think the 141 men and boys were doing while the 4 > women and 2 girls were doing dishes? They were playing games! I kid you > not! According to the history books good old Miles Standish and his > settlers and good old Chief Massasoit and his braves were playing games > while the women cleaned up. They had foot races and jumping matches, > shooting and bow and arrow contests. They filled their bellies and then > proceeded to have themselves one heck of a good time. The women did all the > work while the men enjoyed fun and games. Does that sound familiar? > > > > > > Well, the way I figure it, by the time the next Thanksgiving rolled > around and Miles and the boys wanted to invite Massasoit and his boys over > for a little dinner and a few games, the women protested and maybe even went > on strike. And that's probably why the first Thanksgiving was the last one > for many, many years. You won't find that notion in the history books, but > it is history the way I see it. > > > > > > > > > > >