Over the river, and
through the wood,
To Merry Mount away!
We would not stop for
doll or top,
for 'tis Thanksgiving
Day.
Over the river, and
through the wood—
and straight through the
barnyard gate,
We seem to go extremely
slow,
it is so hard to wait!
Over the river, and
through the wood—
To Paddy’s house to play,
He will say, "Let’s shoot today!”
As out to the field we
go.
Over the river, and
through the wood—
To Granmama's house we fly!
Hurrah for the fun! Is
the turkey done?
Hurrah for the pecan pie!
Over the river, and
through the wood,
To Merry Mount we’ll stay!
We’ll bless the food in a
Merry mood,
for 'tis Thanksgiving
Day.
Words
by Lydia Maria Child & CPW
 |
| Merry Mount on a frosty morning |
Today as we gather at Merry Mount, we stop to ponder the holiday
of Thanksgiving.
History
In 1863, Abraham Lincoln set the fourth Thursday
of November, as a day to celebrate Thanksgiving, a national holiday honoring
the early settlers and their harvest feast.
Fact and Fiction
The geographical area surrounding the site of the first Thanksgiving, now known as southeastern Massachusetts and eastern Rhode Island had been the home of the Wampanoag tribe of Native Americas for over 12,000 years, and had been visited by other European settlers before the arrival of the Mayflower. The indigenous people knew the land well and had fished, hunted, and harvested for thousands of generations.
From: https://indiancountrymedianetwork.com/news/the-wampanoag-side-of-the-first-thanksgiving-story/
The harvest feast lasted
for three days. What did they eat? Venison, of course, and according to Kathleen
Wall, a Colonial Foodways Culinarian at Plimoth Plantation, “Not just a lovely roasted joint of venison, but all the
parts of the deer were on the table in who knows how many sorts of ways.” Was
there turkey? “Fowl” is mentioned in Winslow’s account, which puts turkey on
Wall’s list of possibilities. She also said there probably would have been a
variety of seafood and water fowl along with maize bread, pumpkin and other
squashes. “It was nothing at all like a modern Thanksgiving,” she said.
While today Thanksgiving is one of our nation’s favorite
holidays, it has a far different meaning for many Wampanoag, who now number
between 4,000 and 5,000. “For the most
part, Thanksgiving itself is a day of mourning for Native people, not just
Wampanoag people.”
The Europeans who comprised the Plymouth Colony were a group of English Protestants who wanted to break away from the Church of England. These ‘separatists’ initially moved to Holland and after twelve years of financial problems, received funding from English merchants to sail across the Atlantic to settle in a ‘New World.' A ship carrying 101 men, women, and children spent 66 days traveling the Atlantic Ocean, intending to land where New York City is now located. Due to the windy conditions, the group had to cut their trip short and settle at what is now called Cape Cod.
Many myths surround the first Thanksgiving.
Very little is actually known about the event because only two firsthand
accounts of the feast were ever written. The first account is William Bradford’s journal
titled, Of Plymouth Plantation, and the other is a publication written
by Edward Winslow titled Mourt’s Relations. The written accounts state very little
about the food prepared and served during the three day celebration, but the
following sentence from Bradford suggests the spoils of the hunt: “And besides waterfowl
there was great store of wild turkeys, of which they took many, besides
venison…”, but guesses can be made based on the types of
food written about in other documents circa 1621: such as mussels, lobsters,
grapes, plums, corn and herbs.
Thanksgiving 2017
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and as the
patriarch of Merry Mount I am blessed to cohost a joyous family occasion. This year is especially celebratory for we
will also celebrate Caroline’s 28th birthday. Memories abound. I have often said that two of the greatest
days of my life were the days I witnessed the birth of our two children. How can my “Caroliney” be 28? How time flies when one is having fun!
 |
| Caroline's 1st birthday photo |
 |
| Caroline at last year's 27th birthday |
Happy
Birthday Caroline!!!
At
the center of the Thanksgiving festivities is Rett’s meal that traditionally
includes turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, cranberry
sauce, deviled eggs, and an assortment of pies.
But the must have is Rett’s cornbread
dressing.
 |
| photo of the Thanksgiving table 2015 |
Another tradition is the Woliver “turkey shoot” contest. Anyone who wants to participate may shoot a
shotgun at a target (a photo of a turkey) to see who can get the most shotgun
pellets within the boundaries of the target.
 |
| A photo from the 2016 turkey shoot
One may ask about Thanksgiving attire? Hey, it takes place at Merry Mount, so one wears whatever
one wishes. But sometime during the
early 1990s, the wearing of the “bird shirt” became a tradition.
|
 |
| from Thanksgiving 2015 |
Thanksgiving
Gettin’ together to smile an’ rejoice,
An’ eatin’ an’ laughin’ with folks of your choice;
An’ kissin’ the girls an’ declarin’ that they
Are growin’ more beautiful day after day;
 |
| Joy and Eva |
Chattin’ an’ braggin’ a bit with the men,
Buildin’ the old family circle again;
Livin’ the wholesome an’ old-fashioned cheer,
Just for awhile at the end of the year.
Greetings fly fast as we crowd through the door
And under the old roof we gather once more
Just as we did when the youngsters were small;
Mother’s a little bit grayer, that’s all.
Father’s a little bit older, but still
Ready to romp an’ to laugh with a will.
Here we are back at the table again
Tellin’ our stories as women an’ men.
Bowed are our heads for a moment in prayer;
Oh, but we’re grateful an’ glad to be there.
Home from the east land an’ home from the west,
Home with the folks that are dearest an’ best.
Out of the sham of the cities afar
We’ve come for a time to be just what we are.
Here we can talk of ourselves an’ be frank,
Forgettin’ position an’ station an’ rank.
Give me the end of the year an’ its fun
When most of the plannin’ an’ toilin’ is done;
Bring all the wanderers home to the nest,
Let me sit down with the ones I love best,
Hear the old voices still ringin’ with song,
See the old faces unblemished by wrong,
See the old table with all of its chairs
An’ I’ll put soul in my Thanksgivin’ prayers.
-Edgar Guest
In conclusion, we embrace what Gladys Widdiss, tribal elder of the
Wampanoag, has to say about the Wampanoag Tribe and Thanksgiving:
Every day (is) a day of thanksgiving to the Wampanoag . . .(We)
give thanks to the dawn of the new day, at the end of the day, to the sun, to
the moon, for rain for helping crops grow. . . There (is) always something to
be thankful for. .. Giving thanks comes naturally for the Wampanoag.
There is much to be thankful for at Merry Mount and we wish all
who read this blog today a very Happy Thanksgiving!
CPW
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