One again, my friends, I have done my usual Google-ing exhaustive research and I have uncovered the heretofore hidden history of Thanksgiving.
"The reason that we have so many myths associated with Thanksgiving is that it is an invented tradition. It doesn’t originate in any one event. It is based on the New England puritan Thanksgiving, which is a religious Thanksgiving, and the traditional harvest celebrations of England and New England and maybe other ideas like commemorating the pilgrims. All of these have been gathered together and transformed into something different from the original parts."
- James W. Baker, Senior Historian at Plimoth Plantation
Originally the feast was a one time event so it wasn’t technically the beginning of the tradition. It occurred sometime between September 21 and November 11, 1621 and lasted for three days.
During the American Revolution a yearly day of thanksgiving was suggested by the Continental Congress. In 1817 New York State adopted Thanksgiving Day as an annual custom. By the mid-19th century most other states had followed suit. In 1863 Abraham Lincoln set Thanksgiving as the last Thursday in November. In 1939 Franklin D. Roosevelt amended that slightly to be the fourth Thursday of November.
Nobody knows for certain exactly what was served at that first feast apart from fowl (of a non-specific sort) and deer. Historians speculate that they may have eaten some of the following items; cod, clams, lobster, wild turkey, eagles, seals, pumpkin and carrots. These same historians say that there was no evidence that they had any of the following modern Thanksgiving foods; ham, potatoes, corn, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie (apparently this recipe did not exist yet).
There seems to be a few different ideas as to why we Canadians celebrate the occasion in early October. The most popular opinion is that it is because we are celebrating the harvest, which is earlier due to our more Northern location.
Interestingly, I came across an article that says the first Canadian Thanksgiving ceremony was held by an English navigator, Martin Frobisher, in 1578, in what is now Newfoundland.
As for myself, I shall be attending a family dinner where much chicken and ham shall be eaten and more than a few Blue Beaver Beers shall be drank drunken.