Today the Thanksgiving holiday is marked by tables decorated with leaf-print tablecloths, meticulously prepared turkeys, and mile-high pumpkin pies — but what did the first Thanksgiving actually look like?
The First Thanksgiving
In 1621, the first Thanksgiving meal came after the spread of smallpox, measles, and influenza from European settlers to the Wampanoag tribe living in America. The Indigenous people that weren’t sold into slavery shared a meal with the same colonizers that infringed on their land just weeks before — however, war and fighting did not begin immediately.
The settlers and the Wampanoag tribe agreed on a peace treaty in 1621, which marked the beginning of an alliance that lasted for decades. It wasn’t until after Chief Massasoit died and his son, King Phillip, took power of the Wampanoag tribe that conflict began in 1675, over 50 years after the first Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving feasts were then celebrated sporadically by each colony until 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln officially made Thanksgiving a national holiday to be held each November — but fall celebrations were held long before the settlers sailed in on the Mayflower.
Ancient Autumnal Ceremonies
Native American tribes began celebrating their fall bounty four thousand years ago, during the Green Corn Ceremony. The festivities began with the sacrificing of the first green corn, to ensure the proper growth of the rest of their harvest. The Green Corn Ceremony involved dancing, feasting, fasting, and is still celebrated today.
In ancient Rome and Greece, harvest festivals marked a time of abundance and fertility. During the fall months, they celebrated gods and goddesses of wine and revelry, and they enjoyed the fruits of their labor they worked tirelessly to grow throughout hot summer months.
Specifically, the ancient Greeks had a holiday called Thesmophoria, named after their goddess of agriculture, Demeter Thesmophoros — the festival lasted three to five days, and was celebrated exclusively by women, who carried symbols of fertility, and performed rituals they believed would help crops grow to their full potential.
In ancient Rome, they celebrated Bacchanalia, which originated in Italy and included the ritual honoring of the grape harvest — they celebrated fertility gods, and held the festival Anthesteria, which consisted of wine consumption, partying, and was also exclusively celebrated by women (although men were later allowed to join in the festivities).
So, is Thanksgiving today a time to celebrate corn, squash and pumpkins? Is it a time to connect and give thanks to the Earth’s bounty? Is it a callback to the truce formed between the pilgrims and Indigenous people?
When Thanks Meets Consumption
For many, Thanksgiving is a time to gather with friends and extended family, each with unique traditions: extending gratitude for overlooked privileges, watching the Macy’s day parade, and some going to bed early to rest up for early-morning Black Friday deals.
Over the years, Black Friday deals have slowly begun seeping into Thanksgiving day. Thousands rioted and stampeded stores for cabbage patch dolls in 1984, marking one of the first Black Friday frenzies. Most notably, Jdimytai Damour was trampled to death In 2008, as hundreds of impatient shoppers stepped over the maintenance worker’s body, onward to discounted flat-screen TVs.
The Macy’s Day Parade brought in over 50 million dollars in ad revenue for NBC in 2023. Among performances and ornate floats, it serves primarily as advertisements for large corporations, heavily funded by corporate sponsorships.
Consumerism plays a dominant role in the modern Thanksgiving, with an increasing number of families trading candlelit dinners for shorter lines at retail stores and lower prices.
Whether Thanksgiving is a day for shopping, spending quality time with family and friends, or a painful reminder of America’s cruel past, hopefully everyone can enjoy the autumnal celebration in a way that feels most appropriate to them.
Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate.
