THANKSGIVING CHRONOLOGICAL ANOMALIES

In 1621, the Pilgrims at Plymouth Colony celebrated the first Thanksgiving along with their guests from the Wampanoag Tribe, who contributed five deer to the communal meal.

Well, actually, it was not really the first Thanksgiving. On September 8, 1565, Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles from Spain landed at what is now St. Augustine, Florida, and was peacefully greeted by the Timucua Tribe. He celebrated a Thanksgiving Mass in gratitude for his safe arrival in the New World and broke bread with the natives (most likely, hardtack, along with chickpeas, wine, and salted pork from the Spanish supplies and fish, game, beans, corn and squash from the locals).

But what about the French? On June 30, 1564, over a year before the Spanish gluttony, French explorer Rene Goulaine de Laudonnière organized a Thanksgiving feast for his crew and the Timucuas near what is now Jacksonville, Florida. The French provisions had been pretty well depleted, but the natives saved the day by providing a variety of grains, fruits and game--including barbecued alligator. 

So, was the 1621 shindig at least the third Thanksgiving? Maybe not. There were numerous other explorers who provided thanks when they safely arrived in America, and, no doubt, some of these occasions involved the Europeans sharing food with the Native Americans who greeted them (or more likely, accepting food from the Native Americans who greeted them). However, the passage of time has obfuscated what actually went on in these other encounters, so we cannot say for sure how many Thanksgivings preceded 1621.

So, why do we normally count the Pilgrims' dinner party as the first Thanksgiving? Well, duh. The victors get to write the history, and the English and their descendants eventually elbowed the French and Spanish out of what became the USA.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, do not forget that you should NOT wash your turkey.