Several hundred years ago, the tradition of Thanksgiving was formed. What once was celebrated as a religious gathering, is now centered around football, family, and food. In the Marist community, everyone has their favorite Thanksgiving dish to look forward to.
In 1621, the pilgrims had a shared feast with local Native Americans, marking the start of Thanksgiving in North America. Interestingly, there is no proof that the pilgrims enjoyed a turkey that fall day in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
What historians have documented is that the pilgrims enjoyed food including ham and vegetables, much like our feasts today.
“My table usually consists of turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, and lots of greens, greens like green beans and different salads,” said freshman Zoe Norris.
Thanksgiving dinner is largely centered around one thing: the turkey.
“The main dish would be turkey, obviously, but I don’t really eat the meat. If I was going to, I’d eat the white meat,” said freshman Olivia Amelio.
While there is usually only one main dish on Thanksgiving, there are many side dishes to choose from.
“Always the potatoes. I love mashed potatoes. I loved baked potatoes. it seems like at Thanksgiving there’s a lot of them to choose from,” said teacher Ms. Carlson.
Fun fact: The pilgrims did not eat potatoes. According to the Britannica website, white potatoes had not yet crossed over to North America at the time of the first Thanksgiving.
Out of all the side dishes, there is one that is a real show stopper.
“I definitely look forward to the cheesy potatoes because their everyone’s favorite. They’re so good,” said Amelio.
Sweet or savory? Since it’s Thanksgiving, why not both?
”I love pumpkin cheesecake, and also apple pie. Those are my favorites,” said Amelio.
Food isn’t the only part of Thanksgiving, what about something to wash it down with?
“I usually just have water, but sometimes my grandma also makes Shirley temples,” said Norris.
Thanksgiving doesn’t always look the same for everyone.
“I don’t eat turkey because I’m a vegetarian,” said Carlson.
There are no rules as to what the infamous Thanksgiving meal has to consist of. It is not set in stone what someone might bring to the table.
“I make this amazing appetizer that is a mushroom crustini. I got the recipe from a vegan cookbook by Alicia Silvertsone, and it’s actually really delicious,” said Carlson.
The pilgrims, for example, did not only have the typical cornucopia type foods, but also had many surprising snacks as well, like venison (deer meat), eel, oysters, fruit, fish, lobster, Hardtack (dense cracker), and many more unusual cuisines.
