The first recorded Thanksgiving in 1621 had wild turkey and other fowl, along with abundant fish and venison. The event was attended by the surviving 50 members of the original group that arrived on the Mayflower and 90 Native Americans.
Prior to the drafting and adoption of the U.S. Constitution in 1789, the Continental Congress frequently declared days of thanksgiving. After the national government was established, President George Washington issued the first proclamation of a Thanksgiving Day on October 3, 1789, although it was not regularly celebrated until Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving to be a holiday on the last Thursday of November in 1863. It has been celebrated since then, and became an official federal holiday under President Franklin Roosevelt in 1941.
Giving thanks. Thanksgiving is a holiday meant for reflection on the blessings we enjoy together. Make your friends and family comfortable with these dining tips.
- Do prep work for the meal ahead of time to ease your responsibilities on the big day. Do the same with your table arrangements. Set up tables and arrange place settings well in advance. Make sure you have plenty of chairs for your crowd.
- Delegate when possible. For example, have a child in the family make place cards for everyone. Put another child in charge of a centerpiece or other decoration. Ask friends and family to bring their specialty dishes.
- At the end up of the meal, accept any and all help to clean up. Be prepared with plenty of covered containers for the leftovers.
