So I've been thinking about how so many of the American Thanksgiving traditions are based on the first Thanksgiving dinner, right? Like how we eat turkey, or the fact that we have dinner at all. But like, why do we uphold certain parts of the original Thanksgiving, and not others?
So arguably the first Thanksgiving was in 1621, when European settlers and Wampanoag Native Americans shared an autumn harvest feast. They ate lobster, turkey, duck, seal, swan, and venison, amongst many other dishes, largely prepared in Native styles and with Native spices. Like that sounds AWESOME Y'ALL.
Unfortunately, the pilgrims' sugar supply was nonexistent at this point and they didn't have ovens, so there were no pies or baked goods, which sucks for them. But the other stuff???
Like I just have to wonder why we focus on turkey and pumpkin pie and all that jazz, when our ancestors HAD A FEAST OF DUCK AND SEAL AND LOBSTER AND WE JUST IGNORE THAT. Whyyyyyyy aren't we eating lobster bisque and duck confit and way tastier things. I don't get it. Like my family makes a delicious Thanksgiving every year, but if lobster and duck were normalized it would be way better!!!!!!!!
I feel like maybe part of it is like a question of cost or availability, especially during wartimes. That makes sense right? Idk. What do you guys think?
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