Thanksgiving 2005. What does the holiday really mean? This lens will explore the history of Thanksgiving, as well as innovative ways to recognize the holiday.
Need to Reads
Two important pieces
The Wall Street Journal has been publishing these editorials every year since 1961. Take part in the tradition! (WSJ subscription required)
- The Desolate Wilderness
- Thanksgiving 1620, as chronicled by Plymouth Colony's keeper of the records
- And the Fair Land
- This country can be even greater
The History of Thanksgiving
- History Channel: A Meal Without Forks
- Ever wonder what the pilgrims and their Native American guests really ate at the first feast?
- Plimoth Plantation
- Living breathing history
- The First Thanksgiving
- Online activities, lesson plans, and teaching strategies from Scholastic
That First Thanksgiving
Squanto, we hardly knew ye.
The Nov. 22 New York Times features a wonderful op-ed piece by John Tierney about the Thanksgiving myth and its inaccurate portrayal of the Native Americans. It also does a good job outlining Squanto's importance as a mediator and bridge between the two cultures. Thanksgiving in Sight
YouTube videos
These clips touch on the holiday. Mileage may vary.
Grindhouse - "Thanksgiving Fau...
Thanksgiving Prayer By: Willia...
Thanksgiving (complete)
Thanksgiving With the Kranzes
Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving with N. Dynamite
Recent Headlines
Stories published just before the big day
On Nov. 23, area newspapers picked up the pace of their coverage of Thanksgiving. Here are some of the highlights.
- Ruth M. Siems, 74, Inventor of a Thanksgiving Mainstay
- A retired home economist who developed Stove Top stuffing died of a heart attack in mid-November
- Turkey with a Dash of Bitters
- Is there much to be thankful for in New Orleans?
- Slaving over a Hot Checkout Counter
- Big supermarket chains add entire prepared meals; offering pumpkin mousse (WSJ subscription required)
- Feast Most Foul
- Turkey dinners PETA would love (WSJ subscription required)
- One for "the Birds": Wild Turkeys Attack Humans in Suburbia
- Toms, seeing people as low in pecking order, commit fowl play with spurs (WSJ subscription required)
- The Turkey Has Landed
- Christopher Hitchens compares Thanksgiving to a free lunch (WSJ subscription required)
- The Mayflower Compact's message for today
- Learning to live and work together in harmony has divine support.
- We cherish each stain on the tablecloth
- Spills are snapshots commemorating the good times we've had.
- A Thanksgiving proclamation
- A message from the president of the United States.
- A Thanksgiving that's out of this world
- Another slice of irradiated smoked turkey, anyone? Astronauts on the ISS can choose from among 180 menu items.
- Gratitude in the present tense
- A Christian Science perspective on daily life.
- Over laughter, food, and music, strangers became friends
- As a student visiting from India, my first Thanksgiving was perhaps closest in spirit to the original significance of the holiday.
- They Held Their Noses, and Ate
- The Pilgrims gave thanks, but not for the menu
- The Real Thanksgiving
- Who's buried in Plymouth Rock?
An MBA Thanksgiving
A holiday feast for 24 is the home cook's biggest management problem. We call in the consultants
Who knew that management consultants from Bain & Co., PricewaterhouseCoopers, the Boswell Group, Katzenbach Partners, and the Monitor Group could help ease your holiday hassles? The Wall Street Journal offers advice from the world of work (subscription required), as well as "reduced-complexity" recipes.
Gift Thee Thanks
Books about the holiday
If you'd like to know more about the history of Thanksgiving, check out these books
Thanksgiving Is for Giving Thanks
Amazon Price: $3.99 (as of 10/11/2008)
The Night Before Thanksgiving (Reading Railroad Books)
Amazon Price: $3.99 (as of 10/11/2008)
Thanksgiving on Thursday (Magic Tree House #27)
Amazon Price: $3.99 (as of 10/11/2008)
Five Silly Turkeys
Amazon Price: $5.99 (as of 10/11/2008)
Pilgrim's First Thanksgiving
Amazon Price: $5.99 (as of 10/11/2008)
Cookbook Looks at 400 Years of Thanksgiving Food
Feasting
The Nov. 16 edition of the Christian Science Monitor features a review of a new cookbook dedicated entirely to Thanksgiving. Culinary historian Kathleen Curtin's Giving Thanks: Thanksgiving Recipes and History offers historically accurate recipes -- and highlights what the original pilgrims may have actually eaten. My Mother's Menu
- Turkey: dark and white meat
- Stuffing: with lots of sage!
- Sweet potatoes with melted marshmallows on top
- Green beans and almonds casserole--admittedly not a favorite
- Cranberry sauce: Whole bean and smooth
- Rolls, butter, and strawberry jam
- Pumpkin pie with real whipped cream--who wants to lick the beaters?
Sharing Time and Table
Snapshots of fancy feasts
You know it's Thanks...
Happy Thanksgiving!
Turkey Blog #1
Fall Leaves
Fall Colors
Fall Leaves
Thought for Food
- Thanksgiving Recipes
- Includes a planning timeline, recipe countdown, and menus
- A Vegetarian Thanksgiving
- What to serve your meat-free family members and friends? This site goes way beyond tofurkey
- Thanksgiving Survival Guide
- How to pick a perfect turkey, as well as instructional videos and a gear guide
Thanksgiving Movies to Watch after Dinner
Alice's Restaurant
Amazon Price: $10.49 (as of 10/11/2008)
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)
Pieces of April
Amazon Price: $9.99 (as of 10/11/2008)
What You Can Get at Alice's Restaurant
- Anything you want
What You Can't Get There
- Alice
