Thanksgiving: Then and Now

In history class, we have been learning about the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving. The first time I heard, I was quite fascinated by how much thanksgiving has changed. I was quite surprised to find out that they most likely ate duck and and lamb, and that turkey wasn't even in their mind. The first Thanksgiving lasted more than one day, or one afternoon, it lasted for a couple days to a week. So the ideas to shrink the amount of time spent celebrating, and what to eat, have totally changed the original copy of Thanksgiving. For me, now it feels weird to say that how we celebrate Thanksgiving these days is "original" or "traditional", because it is so different from the one back in 1621. 

          I found an article online called HOW THE FIRST THANKSGIVING MIGHT HAVE BEEN by Michael Strauss.  In the article, Strauss talked about how people at Plymouth colony, in Plymouth Mass are going to reenact/recreate the first Thanksgiving. Strauss included the schedule of this man named Mr.Shoumatoff, who would be participating in the recreation., "On next Saturday, also at 2 P.M., Mr. Shoumatoff will present a lecture on what he refers to as the myths that have grown up around the early observances of Thanksgiving by the Pilgrims." Strauss said that "Then, next Sunday, the museum's program will conclude with a recreation of the first holiday observance by the Pilgrims at Plymouth, Mass., portrayed by the museum's staff and volunteers in full costume of the period." It doesn't seem possible to gather enough evidence from about 400 years ago, on a meal that people took part in. To me, I feel like they basically ate the evidence, there's not going to be a random piece of duck on the ground sitting there, waiting to be observed, so to me, I always question how relevant and true this information actually is.
         Strauss wrote about letters written by John Smith, and Edward Winslow in his article. The information has been tweaked a little bit to go from old to modern English, but the base pf what he is talking about is still there.  The letter, Mr. Shoumatoff said, provides the only eyewitness description of the event. Part of it reads ''Our harvest being gotten in, our Governor sent four men on fowling, that we might after a special manner, rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. The four, in one day, killed as much fowl, as with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest King Massasoit, with some 90 men whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed on our Governor (William Bradford) and upon the captain (John Smith) and others.''

         Our Thanksgiving these days is great, its always a lot of fun, and it brings the whole family together. But I think it would be cool just to see or be a part of the Pilgrims original meal. I wish we kept some of their traditions, like having it be more than one day, because in the end, it means one less day of school!