What happens at Thanksgiving?

[Ridewithme38 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ridewithme38]

Wait, When did thanksgiving become a religious holiday? We've never said a prayer in my family on thanksgiving. Thanksgiving itself, is pure glutteny, it's about eating until you just about burst, drinking till your eyes are crossed and then falling asleep on the couch in the mid-after noon

[easyrider Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close easyrider]

Even though Thanksgiving Day is what it is now it didn't start out as anything other than a party consisting of English Protestants and Native Americans. They ate deer so Im not sure where the idea to eat Turkey came from. I thought it was Abe Lincoln that officially started the Thanksgiving Day Holiday as a day to give thanks for Gods blessings. He must have liked turkey.

At my house we have family and friends drop by all through out the day. Every other Thanksgiving we would try to take the family somewhere warm. The best trip was Disney World. There was a time not to many years ago I was one of the guys that made the rounds. Not this year.

Some of the family started helping at a dealio doing the cooking, cleaning and giving rides. Im out but my sons family is still in.

One thing I enjoy is the Thanksgiving Day shootout out back behind my house. After a drink or two we go outside and see everyones new pistols. My son in law bought a Glock last year. It jambed on the 3 round, lol. I still have ole rusty and the kids make their jokes but when I squeeze it goes boom every time.... I guess my revolver dates me but I have found it to be very reliable and true to the target.

[CarolF Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close CarolF]

I was keeping up quite well (I think).

I'd heard that you make desserts out of pumpkins (my British and Australian families see pumpkin as a savoury vegetable only), I didn't know about 2 different types, American and Canadian style pumpkin pies. Turkey isn't very popular with my UK or Australian families and is more difficult to source outside of the Christmas season. Disagreements are saved for Christmas Day or Boxing Day .

I expect tourists would be pleased that the Casinos open, as well as gas stations and convenience stores in many locations. Shopping the Friday sales seems popular, what sort of stores have sales and what time do the sales start and end? Are the stores decorated for Christmas, or is it still too early?

Bill, you will need to supply a translation for "one of the guys that made the rounds" and also "started helping at a dealio doing the cooking, cleaning and giving rides".

[Hobbitess Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hobbitess]

Even though Thanksgiving Day is what it is now it didn't start out as anything other than a party consisting of English Protestants and Native Americans.

Religion permeated the Pilgrim's lives; they didn't really share the modern concept of sacred versus secular but rather followed the directions of Colossians 3:17, "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." The idea that their Thanksgiving day was not a religious festival came about fairly recently because archaeologist James Deetz was not familiar enough with the Bible (or the Pilgrims) to recognize the verses being quoted in Winslow's write up, so he claimed the whole thing was secular. That was a controversial claim, so of course it hit the news, and is being promulgated on the Internet still. But not only are the Pilgrims on record as saying they were trying to go back to the Bible for every aspect of their lives (which is why some scholars point to the Hebrew festival Sukkot as being Thanksgiving's roots), description of the day's activities also mirrors the yearly Reformed Protestant Thanksgiving in Leiden (remember that the Pilgrims lived in Holland for some years before coming to the American continent), which was a religious festival.

They ate deer so Im not sure where the idea to eat Turkey came from.

Winslow's write up of the day says, "They foure in one day killed as much fowle as, with a little help besid, served the company almost a weeke," and Bradford's write up of that fall says "besides water foule, ther was great store of wild Turkies, of which they tooke many, besids venison, etc." so odds are pretty good they ate Turkey that first day.

I thought it was Abe Lincoln that officially started the Thanksgiving Day Holiday as a day to give thanks for Gods blessings. He must have liked turkey.

Lincoln didn't specify any foods in his proclamation. Turkey probably became traditional because it is a big bird that feeds a passel of people, because they knew the Pilgrims ate fowl, and because venison was not available for most people by then.

Bit of trivia -- Bush began the tradition of pardoning the turkey, and the pardoned turkey ends up at Disneyland, to live out its life in Frontierland (I would assume in the petting zoo there, if that's still around).

One thing I enjoy is the Thanksgiving Day shootout out back behind my house. After a drink or two we go outside and see everyones new pistols. My son in law bought a Glock last year. It jambed on the 3 round, lol. I still have ole rusty and the kids make their jokes but when I squeeze it goes boom every time.... I guess my revolver dates me but I have found it to be very reliable and true to the target.

A friend of mine in Colorado would go up with her dad to their land in the mountains and shoot on Thanksgiving weekend as well. She had a black powder handgun of some sort, maybe a Navy Colt, probably a replica but definitely old fashioned!

[ace2000 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close ace2000]

Guess that settles that question (actually I agree with the previous post 100%). Let's all move along now... nothing else to see here.

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

Due to hunting, wild Turkeys disappeared throughout my state of Connecticut in the early 1800's. During the period of 1975 through 1992 356 wild turkeys were introduced at 16 locations in the state, one of them being the mountain behind my house. Within a few years there were turkeys everywhere and it is not unusual to see one or more any day in this area.

[easyrider Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close easyrider]

religion permeated the pilgrim's lives; they didn't really share the modern concept of sacred versus secular but rather followed the directions of colossians 3:17, "and whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the lord jesus, giving thanks to god the father through him." the idea that their thanksgiving day was not a religious festival came about fairly recently because archaeologist james deetz was not familiar enough with the bible (or the pilgrims) to recognize the verses being quoted in winslow's write up, so he claimed the whole thing was secular. That was a controversial claim, so of course it hit the news, and is being promulgated on the internet still. But not only are the pilgrims on record as saying they were trying to go back to the bible for every aspect of their lives (which is why some scholars point to the hebrew festival sukkot as being thanksgiving's roots), description of the day's activities also mirrors the yearly reformed protestant thanksgiving in leiden (remember that the pilgrims lived in holland for some years before coming to the american continent), which was a religious festival.



Winslow's write up of the day says, "they foure in one day killed as much fowle as, with a little help besid, served the company almost a weeke," and bradford's write up of that fall says "besides water foule, ther was great store of wild turkies, of which they tooke many, besids venison, etc." so odds are pretty good they ate turkey that first day.




:d

lincoln didn't specify any foods in his proclamation. Turkey probably became traditional because it is a big bird that feeds a passel of people, because they knew the pilgrims ate fowl, and because venison was not available for most people by then.

Bit of trivia -- bush began the tradition of pardoning the turkey, and the pardoned turkey ends up at disneyland, to live out its life in frontierland (i would assume in the petting zoo there, if that's still around).



A friend of mine in colorado would go up with her dad to their land in the mountains and shoot on thanksgiving weekend as well. She had a black powder handgun of some sort, maybe a navy colt, probably a replica but definitely old fashioned!

like !! :d

[easyrider Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close easyrider]

The state re-introduced turkeys in the 80's and they have really populated some areas. I shot one about 12 years ago and thought it tasted gamey. I don't really like duck or goose either but do enjoy sky blasting. Its a rush to be laying in a corn field with duck or geese landing all over the place and then popping up to bast a few.

Grouse, pheasant and sometimes quail are the wild birds that taste good , imo.

[BoardGirl Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close BoardGirl]

Good food,
Good treats,
Good God,
Let's eat!

Your average kid knows it, but no poet claims to have written that last one.

The one I know came from All In The Family:

Good Bread
Good Meat
Good God,
let's Eat!

I think it was Mike said it and annoyed Archie big.

[Tommyboy Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Tommyboy]

Talk of turkeys, the central coast of California has large flocks roaming around. I live near the outskirts of Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo and especially this time of year see flocks of 35-50 birds in fields along with the deer. We even have 5 hens roaming around the neighborhood. They don't seem to be bothered by the dogs. Of course, they are bigger than many of the dogs around and can fly quite well. It is sad to see the chicks in spring as the number of each flock dwindles. I think the local cats are responsible for many of those losses although we do hear coyotes at night.. It is a joy to see a flock with the males strutting and displaying to the females this time of year. I would not think of "harvesting" any of them, so much easier at the store.
Tom

[Hobbitess Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hobbitess]

I think it was Mike said it and annoyed Archie big.

That may be where I first heard it. Earliest version I could find was from a list of meal prayers printed in 1912: "‘good bread, good meat, good Lord, let’s eat," so despite the variations and lack of copy right, seems to have stayed pretty stable over the years.

[CarolF Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close CarolF]

I'm sure some international tourists would enjoy hunting/fishing/shooting as an activity during their timeshare stay. There are timeshares advertised as suitable locations for hunters. Florida actively encourages fishing on the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving by providing free licence days. Are there organised hunts, shoots, fishing trips for tourists at many timeshare locations? I'm guessing hunting activities would be illegal on the Thursday Thanksgiving Day?

I like the idea of seeing Turkeys roaming the suburbs.

[JWC Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close JWC]

Talk of turkeys, the central coast of California has large flocks roaming around. I live near the outskirts of Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo and especially this time of year see flocks of 35-50 birds in fields along with the deer. We even have 5 hens roaming around the neighborhood. They don't seem to be bothered by the dogs. Of course, they are bigger than many of the dogs around and can fly quite well. It is sad to see the chicks in spring as the number of each flock dwindles. I think the local cats are responsible for many of those losses although we do hear coyotes at night.. It is a joy to see a flock with the males strutting and displaying to the females this time of year. I would not think of "harvesting" any of them, so much easier at the store.
Tom

There are a lot of turkeys wandering around the residences at California State University Monterey Bay. Our son and his family live there and we see the turkeys quite often around his place.

[easyrider Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close easyrider]

I have noticed that there are a bunch of turkeys at the political section at 4ms,