Giving Tuesday Since the 1950s, we’ve called the day after Thanksgiving “Black Friday.” After gathering to offer orisons for all the things we value, we kick off the holiday gifting season with a bang. On the surface, Thanksgiving and Black Friday are compatible; giving gifts to loved ones is a wonderful way to give […]
Mashed Potatoes As humans gather around Thanksgiving tables in late fall, their feasts often include a common palette of foodstuffs, from turkey to corn to cranberry sauce to pumpkin pie. Uncle Jimmy might put a personal spin on a dish, but, odds are, he’s making it with a traditional ingredient list. Most years, Uncle Jimmy whips up a batch of mashed potatoes. Sometimes
Pumpkin Pie Hurrah for the fun! Is the pudding done? / Hurrah for the pumpkin pie! –Lydia Maria Child, “Over the River and Through the Wood” We continue a tradition of exploring plants and animals associated with Thanksgiving, after investigating wild turkeys, cranberry sauce, and maize. Though cranberry sauce contains some sweetness, most people do not consume it
Maize Many myths surround the first Thanksgiving celebration in the United States. The gathering most commonly cited as the inaugural festival happened in October 1621. For three days, 53 Pilgrims in Plymouth Colony dined with 90 Wampanoags to revel in gratitude for a bountiful harvest. For many people, today’s traditional Thanksgiving meal centers around items
Wild Turkeys O, peace! Contemplation makes a rare turkey-cock of him: how he jets under his advanced plumes! – Shakespeare, Twelfth Night Here in the United States, we are on the precipice of Thanksgiving, which falls on the fourth Thursday of November. Traditionally, the protein of choice at feasts and banquets far and wide is