Thanksgiving - Background of a Tradition

Thanksgiving - a tradition with many roots

When we think of the Thanksgiving tradition, we associate it with well-being, being together with the family and a delicious feast. We prepare ourselves days in advance for the festivity, are stressed out while shopping and decorate the house with pumpkins and other autumnal utensils. In the end we hope that the turkey in the oven will be a success and we are finally happy when the family has left the house saturated.

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But for what do we actually say "thank you"?

Until today there are different views about the roots of the Thanksgiving tradition. It is not easy to identify a particular country of origin. There is the word-related "Erntedank" Festival in Germany and also in countries like Liberia, Grenada, Brazil and even Japan a comparable festival is celebrated. The common element is always based on giving thanks and sacrifices for a successful harvest.

Das erste „Thanksgiving“ in Amerika

Richtet man den Blick auf Nordamerika, belegt die Geschichte bereits am 23. Mai 1541 die erste Erntedankfestlichkeit. Abgehalten wurde sie unter Francisco Vásquez de Coronado, einem spanischen Conquistador (spanisch und portugiesisch conquistador = „Eroberer“). Coronado war mit einer ca. 1500 Mann starken Gefolgschaft in der Gegend des heutigen Texas unterwegs, auf der Suche nach Zivilisationen und großen Reichtümern, so wie viele andere „Conquistadores“ zu seiner Zeit.

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Francisco Vásquez de Coronado was considered the first European to discover the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River, among other places.

Instead of the wealth he hoped for, he only found his disillusioned and starving people. Coronado was lucky when he encountered native Caddo tribespeople who helped him and his troops with food. To celebrate this event, a Catholic mass was held together with the indigenous people to give thanks.

Technisch gesehen kann man in diesem Fall vom „ersten Thanksgiving“ Amerikas sprechen. Allerdings geht die Tradition, die wir heute kennen von einem anderen geschichtlichen Ereignis aus.

The Misery of the American Pilgrim Fathers - The Origin of Thanksgiving Today

Like the history of Coronado, the initial situation of the Puritan Pilgrim Fathers was based on an emergency situation. When in 1620 the first English settlers crossed the Atlantic to the New World on the Mayflower, they did not land at their originally planned destination. Violent autumn storms caused them to deviate from their course and drop anchor near today's Provincetown near Cape Cod. The settlers realized that it would take a long sea voyage to reach their actual destination in North Virginia. So they decided to stay at Cape Cod and settle down. At least for a short time.

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At Cape Cod the crew of the Mayflower felt solid ground under their feet again.

Cape Cod is a narrow peninsula off the coast of what is now Massachusetts. The soil there is sandy and farming is difficult - at least if you consider the puristic tools that were used in those days. With the realization that it was difficult to make a living there, the pilgrims sailed on toward the mainland. By December 21, near what is now Plymouth, the food supply was almost empty. The settlers would probably not have survived the first winter, had it not been for the help of the indigenous population.

Thanks to the support of the Wampanoag tribe, at least half of the newly arrived settlers made it through the winter. The other half froze to death or succumbed to disease. No wonder, since the settlers did not have permanent accommodation at that time, but settled in an abandoned village of the Patuxet – a sub-group of the Wampanoag. Most of the huts were already dilapidated, poorly insulated and were not what the settlers would call permanent structures.

Squanto helped the settlers survive in the New World

Es waren auch die Wampanoag, die den Siedlern die Landwirtschaft in der Neuen Welt näher brachten. Eine Schlüsselrolle spielte dabei Squanto (alt. Tisquantum), der bereits zuvor von einem Handelsschiff in die ihm unbekannte „Zivilisation“ entführt wurde. Squanto gelang es dort die Englische Sprache zu erlernen, bevor er wieder zurück zu seinem Stamm kehren konnte. Trotz der Tatsache, dass Squanto entführt wurde, hielt es ihn nicht davon ab, den Siedlern landwirtschaftliche Lektionen zu geben, damit diese in der Neuen Welt überleben konnten.

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Among other things, Squanto helped the settlers to practice sustainable agriculture.

Squanto was the key to the success of the settlers in the Plymouth Colony. He served both as a guide to the region and as an interpreter.

After the settlers learned about the customs of the natives to hold a ceremony at harvest time, they decided to do the same. From now on they were to hold a Thanksgiving feast every year together with indigenous guests. They celebrated extensively, ate and played games together, which led to a lively cultural exchange.

Es war die Zeit um gemeinsam „Danke“ zu sagen.

„The First Thanksgiving at Plymouth“, Jennie Augusta Brownscombe (1914)

Auch die Two Rivers Privity sagt: „Danke“!

Bis zur Stunde haben wir Thanksgiving dazu genutzt, ebenfalls „Danke“ zu sagen. Bei allen, die uns das Jahr über treu geblieben sind, die uns auf unseren authentischen Lagern besucht haben und die uns tatkräftig bei der Pflege von Beaver Creek Valley zur Seite standen.

We have done this in recent years with an invitation to an authentic Thanksgiving dinner. Unfortunately, this year the Corona Pandemic prevented us from doing so, but we still found a way to say thank you to our great community!

In Cooperation with Marie-Louise Lange from Küchenliebelei (DE), we want to share some great recipes with you for your own Thanksgiving!

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An autumnally Crickhollow Apple Pie and Cornbread with chili-apple-jelly and chicken thigh. (DE)

Why Thanksgiving is so important in our opinion

Die Tradition des Thanksgiving lebt bis in die heutige Zeit weiter und wird in den USA am 26. November gefeiert. Dabei geraten die nordamerikanischen Ureinwohner leider immer mehr in Vergessenheit. Sie leben inmitten von Reservaten in schlechten Verhältnissen, leiden an Arbeitslosigkeit und leben alles andere, als den „amerikanischen Traum“ von Freiheit und Gerechtigkeit. Dabei waren sie es, die es den Siedlern erst ermöglichten, in der Neuen Welt zu überleben und nachhaltig Fuß zu fassen.

Many of today's Natives live in reservations, like here in Fort McDermitt, Nevada.

Unfortunately, the good relationship between the settlers and the indigenous population did not last long. In the following conflicts, countless natives lost their lives and were gradually deprived of their own land.

We would like to actively draw attention to this grievance and remind everyone of it.

For the upcoming Advent season we are currently planning something, and we will need your help. But all in good time - the Beaver Creek Pioneer will keep you up to date.

Enjoy Thanksgiving!

Colton White & Chet McCay – Beaver Creek Pioneer