Презентація "Symbols of Thanksgiving"

Why do we eat turkey on Thanksgiving?Many people believe that we eat turkey because it was served during the “first Thanksgiving”. This meal, attended by both the Piligrim settlers and the Wampanoag people, occurred in 1621 in what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts. A letter written by Edward Winslow indicated that the Wampanoag people brought five deer to the feast, and that the Pilgrims brought fowl from a successful fowling mission earlier in the day. Historical records don’t specifically indicate that the fowl was turkey. However, wild turkeys are native to North America. They were plentiful in the area, so it’s not a stretch to assume the fowl at the first Thanksgiving was turkey!

Is corn a traditional Thanksgiving food?While there is some question to whether turkey was served at the first Thanksgiving, we can be certain that corn was served at the first Thanksgiving. Corn is not only a traditional Thanksgiving food, but one of the most traditional Thanksgiving foods! The Wampanoag people taught the Pilgrims in Plymouth how to plant and cultivate corn to survive the winter. Edward Winslow mentioned in his letters that during the summer they “planted 20 acres of Indian corn” and that though some of their other crops weren’t plentiful, the “corn did prove well”. In modern times, there’s normally some form of corn on the Thanksgiving table, whether it be cornbread, creamed corn, or even as decor.

Thanksgiving cornucopia. The cornucopia actually predates Thanksgiving. It originated in Greek mythology. When the god Zeus was a baby, he was cared for Amalthea, a nurse that appeared in the form of a goat. One day, when playing too roughly, Zeus accidentally broke one of Amalthea’s horns. Feeling guilty, he bestowed the horn with a divine power to refill itself with endless food and drink. The horn became a symbol of abundance, prosperity and plentiful bounty. Out of reverence, Zeus placed Amalthea and her horn in the sky, creating the constellation of Capricorn. The modern cornucopia embodies the symbolism of abundance, prosperity and bounty from this Greek myth. It is only fitting that the cornucopia is a symbol of Thanksgiving, as the holiday revolves around sharing gratitude, blessings, food, love and quality time with others.

Why are pumpkins associated with Thanksgiving?Pumpkins are a fall crop, and are native to North America. Archeologists found evidence that places pumpkins in the Oaxaca Highlands of Mexico over 7,500 years ago! We can’t be certain that pumpkins made an appearance at the first Thanksgiving, but it is likely they did. They definitely didn’t show up in the form of pumpkin pie like they do at so many modern day Thanksgiving gatherings. 

Why do people eat cranberries on Thanksgiving?Cranberries are one of the few fruits native to North America. Cranberry harvesting season is between mid September and early November. Indigenous American peoples combined dried meat (usually venison), cranberries and fat to make “Pemmican”, which is similar to a modern day energy bar. In addition to this bitter berry being consumed for food it was also was used for dying fabric and in poultices to remove poison from arrow wounds. Since cranberries were so important and widely available it is believed that they were present at the first Thanksgiving. We have taken this tradition of eating cranberries, and expanded on it with new recipes! Now cranberries are a major symbol of Thanksgiving.

Beans & the Three Sisters crops. Beans are the last item in the list of the Thanksgiving symbols. They are part of a triad of crops called the “Three Sisters crops” which consists of corn, beans and squash. They have a mutualistic relationship: all three crops work together in harmony to benefit one another. This makes them perfect crops for companion planting. The corn grows tall, and provide the beans with a way to climb towards the sun. The bean vines in turn stabilize the corn stalks in windy weather. When the beans grow, they return nitrogen to the soil, which benefits both the squash and corn

Happy Thanksgiving