Thanksgiving By Angela Rieck

Thanksgiving is the most popular holiday in the United States. Since it is not tied to a particular religion, people of all religions and ethnic groups celebrate it. Thanksgiving may also be the most tradition-rich holiday. Its traditions are typically centered around gratitude, giving back, family and friends, food, and football.

Despite historical stories about the feast between Pilgrims and Native Americans, it is actually a holiday that was initiated during the Civil War. In 1863, President Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday to boost soldier’s morale. President Lincoln assigned the holiday to the last Thursday in November, perhaps to coincide with the date the Pilgrims first landed the Mayflower in New England. In 1941, FDR signed a bill making the fourth Thursday in November its official date, regardless of whether it’s the last Thursday of the month or not.

Our traditional meal is different from the original feast. Although there are few records detailing the original menu, it is believed that the Pilgrims brought local fowl and the Wampanoag brought deer. Pumpkin, lobster, and seal were probably also included in the feast. It is not known if the pumpkins were in pie form, but we know that people have been baking pumpkin pies since the 1600s. 

There is a fun fact associated with Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving leftovers led to the invention of TV dinners. In 1953, apparently Swanson overestimated how much turkey would be consumed on Thanksgiving. So, using 5,000 aluminum trays and an assembly line of hand-packers they created a Thanksgiving-inspired meal with turkey, cornbread dressing, gravy, peas, and sweet potatoes. In the first full year of production, they sold ten million trays.

Thanksgiving is known for its customs and traditions. First and foremost, it is a gathering of friends and family to a feast, often turkey, with sides of yams, mashed potatoes and gravy, rolls, stuffing, cranberry, and pumpkin and apple pies.

The theme of Thanksgiving is gratitude. Some participate in Turkey Trots for charity, others volunteer at a soup kitchen, or simply reflect on what they are grateful for. Football and parades provide entertainment.

I am grateful for Thanksgiving. It is a welcoming event because I come from a large family. Our Thanksgiving meal is hosted by my sister who accommodates as many as 45 people. Thanksgiving, for us, begins on Wednesday when we commence baking. Our houses are festive and the air is filled with spices as we bake sides and desserts for the turkey and ham feast. On Thanksgiving day, my sister’s house is a din of laughter and happy conversation as we catch up and share our blessings. The house is warm and inviting, strewn with flowers and smells of turkey and spices. The side table is laden with pies and desserts and all around are appetizers. The feast lasts all day as some of us watch football and others just catch up at the dinner table.

I love our Thanksgivings, but I am also wary that each celebration may be the last. Our children who live far away may soon wish to start their own. At some point, we will become too old to do the cooking and host. It makes each celebration more valuable.

I wrote a column about traditions a couple of weeks ago. Thanksgiving is full of traditions, but…what happens when the children can no longer come or we move away from them, or our family dwindles down due to death and divorce? Many people reminisce about how wonderful traditional memories are, but memories bring me sadness rather than joy. Memories make me miss what used to be. 

When this happens, many create new traditions. Some people have a Friendsgiving. Friendsgiving is a combination of “friends” and “Thanksgiving” that refers to a large meal shared with friends on Thanksgiving Day. 

For those who are lucky enough to have their spouses, the two can start a tradition of preparing a special meal together and visiting with friends and family remotely.

My philosophy is to move forward. This year my daughter and son-in-law can’t be there for Christmas, another holiday with our own traditions. They will be on a special trip to Egypt, so it is my responsibility to create my own tradition. Our friends in Key West have established a tradition on Christmas Eve where we bicycle to see the Christmas lights. I haven’t decided what Christmas day will be. It may be just a celebration with my dogs…but I will create a tradition which keeps me moving forward.

This column is scheduled to appear on Thanksgiving, so I hope that this finds you enjoying old or building new traditions. 

Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.