As we gather around the table to celebrate Thanksgiving this year with family and friends, we’re offered a moment to show our appreciation for all the blessings in our lives. Enjoy the traditions that are passed down from generation to generation, whether it’s the recipes shared or the seating arrangement, or just how we spend the day, watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade or football games.
A Few Historical Thanksgiving Facts
Keeping with the spirit of the holiday, here are just a few fun Thanksgiving facts about the history of the day you can share with your loved ones this year:
- The Pilgrims were actually attempting to reach the mouth of the Hudson River when they left England in the fall of 1620, but instead landed in Cape Cod Harbor. Plymouth was settled in 1621, the first European settlement in New England.
- Contrary to popular belief, the Pilgrims did not wear black and white clothing. Clothing colors were more earthy tones – lots of browns, greens and grays. Black clothing was something only worn on special occasions. They also did not have buckles adorning their shoes and hats; this fashion trend didn’t become popular until the 1700s.
- The first Thanksgiving was not celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. It was actually a feast that lasted three days, sometime between September and November of 1623 and was based on the harvest festivals they were accustomed to in England.
- It’s a myth that the first Thanksgiving was celebrated by the Pilgrims and the Indians together. In fact, it’s not sure whether the Wampanoag tribe were invited at all to the gathering. They may have actually crashed the party due to the fact that the Pilgrims were celebrating their successful harvest by shooting gunfire into the air and the tribe believed they were under attack.
- The Pilgrims were not actually called “Pilgrims” until about 200 years after their arrival. The settlers were first knowns as “Old Comers” or “First Comers”, and later, as the Forefathers. In 1820, Daniel Webster referred to them as the Pilgrim Fathers based on William Bradford’s manuscript he’d found, in which Bradford called the settlers pilgrimes. It was then shortened to simply Pilgrims and has been used ever since.
American Senior Communities wishes our residents, their families and our amazing staff a very Happy Thanksgiving!!
For more information about American Senior Communities, please visit www.ASCSeniorCare.com.
