1 The first Thanksgiving

Kay's grandson Easton (Chad and Nicolle Higley's son) holding a turkey

We traditionally think of the first Thanksgiving being celebrated by the Pilgrims in the Plymouth Plantation (in what is now Massachusetts) in 1621. There is historical evidence, however, that a thanksgiving mass was held as early as 1565 in what is now Saint Augustine, Florida, and a thanksgiving feast as early as 1619 in the Virginia colony.

The following foods were likely on the Pilgrims' 1621 menu, according to Kathleen Curtin, food historian at Plymouth Plantation:

Seafood: Cod, eel, clams, lobster
Wild Fowl: Wild turkey, goose, duck, crane, swan, partridge, eagles
Meat: Venison, seal
Grain: Wheat flour, Indian corn
Vegetables: Pumpkin, peas, beans, onions, lettuce, radishes, carrots
Fruit: Plums, grapes
Nuts: Walnuts, chestnuts, acorns
Herbs and Seasonings: Olive oil, liverwort, leeks, dried currants, parsnips

Surprisingly, the following foods, all considered staples of the modern Thanksgiving meal, didn't appear on the Pilgrims's first feast table:

Ham: There is no evidence that the colonists had butchered a pig by this time, though they had brought pigs with them from England.
Sweet Potatoes/Potatoes: These were not common.
Corn on the Cob: Corn was kept dried out at this time of year.
Cranberry Sauce: The colonists had cranberries but no sugar at this time.
Pumpkin Pie: It's not a recipe that exists at this point, though the Pilgrims had recipes for stewed pumpkin.
Chicken/Eggs: We know that the colonists brought hens with them from England, but it's unknown how many they had left at this point or whether the hens were still laying.
Milk: No cows had been aboard the Mayflower, though it's possible that the colonists used goat milk to make cheese.