Thanksgiving is Here!

 

For the people of colonial New England, the most exciting holiday of the year was Thanksgiving. The colonists celebrated the harvest, their blessings, and renewed family ties and friendships. Just as today, families traveled from afar to join together on this special day and people spent many hours and days in preparation for reunions and feasting. And, just as today, a focal part of the celebration was a great Thanksgiving meal!

 

At a typical Glastonbury home, one would find people eating a small turkey and chicken pie (beef and pork would not be on the table since the weather was still too warm to preserve butchered cows and pigs). Many pies would grace the table: mince, squash, cranberry, and a favorite, Marlborough pudding. There would be vegetables, fruits, cheeses and breads, and the meal would be ended by a variety of sweets.