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How to Recreate the First Thanksgiving. In 1621, the Pilgrims sat down with a group of
Native Americans for a harvest feast -- the precursor to the Thanksgiving holiday we celebrate
today. Recreate the first Thanksgiving with a little historical knowledge and these tips.
You will need Roast turkey and duck Traditional vegetables Friends Venison Athletic activities
and spoons, knives, and large napkins. Step 1. Make an authentic menu: roast turkey and
duck on a spit, serve peas, lettuce, radishes, carrots, and onions, and prepare pumpkin in
a stew, rather than a pie. Forget the cranberry sauce, which requires more sugar than the
Pilgrims had in Plymouth. Cook food to taste, rather than measuring out ingredients -- values
like cups and tablespoons weren't used in 17th-century recipes. Step 2. Invite a lot
of friends over -- the first Thanksgiving had well over 100 participants, including
90 Wampanoag Native Americans. Suggest that your guests bring food to share -- the Wampanoag
brought 5 deer, as described in Mourt's Relation, Pilgrims Edward Winslow and William Bradford's
account of the event. Step 3. Turn off the televised football games and go play your
own sports outside -- in addition to recreation like singing and dancing, the original celebrants
got a lot of exercise during the first Thanksgiving. Step 4. Set the table with spoons and knives
but no forks. Instead, give everyone a large cloth napkin, which the Pilgrims used to pick
up hot food as well as clean their mouths. Step 5. Ready to eat? Don't serve separate
courses. Instead, place all the food on the table at once -- including appetizers and
dessert -- to recreate the colonists' serving style. Be sure to sit near the food you want
-- people in the 17th century didn't pass dishes around the table; they just ate whatever
happened to be closest. Feel free to give thanks before the meal in any style you choose
-- the Pilgrims came to the New World seeking religious and social freedom. Step 6. When
you've finished eating, take a brief rest. Then, start the party back up for another
48 hours, recreating the length of the first Thanksgiving, which lasted for three days,
and giving yourself plenty of time to enjoy your Thanksgiving leftovers! Did you know
Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving an annual holiday in 1863.