Happy Thanksgiving
From Your Silky Terrier Friends
~ Lizzie, Honey & Daisy ~

Hello! Welcome to our Thanksgiving web page.
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THE HISTORY OF THANKSGIVING

In 1621 the Pilgrim's fall harvest was very successful and plentiful.
The harvest included fruits, vegetables, fish packed in salt, and
meat cured with smoke from fires.

The Pilgrims had built homes in the wilderness. They'd raised enough
crops to keep them alive during the long coming winter, and
they were at peace with their Indian neighbors.
Their Governor, William Bradford, proclaimed a day of thanksgiving
that was to be shared by the colonists and the neighboring
Native American Indians.

The custom of an annually celebrated thanksgiving, held after the harvest,
continued through the years. During the American Revolution
a day of national thanksgiving was suggested by the Continental Congress.

In 1817 New York State adopted Thanksgiving Day as an annual custom.
By the middle of the19th century many other states also celebrated a
Thanksgiving Day. In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln appointed a national day
of thanksgiving. Since then each president has issued a Thanksgiving Day proclamation,
usually designating the fourth Thursday of each November as the holiday.

THE MAYFLOWER AND THE SPEEDWELL

The Pilgrims were English people who sought to escape the
religious controversies and economic problems of their time
by emigrating to America. Many of the Pilgrims
were members of a Puritan sect know as Separatists.

Two ships, the Mayflower and the Speedwell, carrying a total
of about 120 passengers, set sail from Southampton
on August 15, 1620. The voyagers were twice forced back
by dangerous leaks on the Speedwell. At the English port of
Plymouth the Speedwell was sold, some of her passengers crowded aboard
the Mayflower while others stayed in England to await passage the next year.
On September 16, the historic voyage to the New World began.

THE LANDING OF THE PILGRIMS

The passengers who arrived on the first four ships called themselves
the "First Comers". The first four ships were the Mayflower (1620),
the Fortune (1621), the Anne and the Little James (1623).
The colonists were called Forefathers, not Pilgrims.
The term Pilgrims, refers to religious travelers and,
wasn't used to describe the early Plymouth colonists until
the early 1800s, when Governor Bradford's phrase,
"they knew they were Pilgrims" began to be quoted.

PLYMOUTH ROCK

Plymouth Rock lies near the sea at Plymouth, Massachusetts.
According to the popular story, a party of Pilgrim explorers
from the Mayflower stepped ashore on this rock when they landed at
Plymouth on Dec. 21, 1620. Historians, however, doubt that
the Pilgrims actually stepped on the rock. It's more likely that
the rock was near the spot where the Pilgrims landed. The rock has been
moved several times between 1774 and 1921. Today, it stands under a
granite canopy near the water's edge, where it serves as a memorial
to the landing of the Pilgrims in 1620.

THE NATIVE AMERICANS

Without the help of Samoset and Tisquantum ,
the Pilgrims would probably have starved to death the first winter.
Without the help of Hobomok and Tokamahamon, peace would never
have been achieved, and the Pilgrims and Indans would have fought and killed one another.
Without the leadership of Massasoit and Quadequina, the Pilgrims would have never
gained the protection and friendship afforded by their neighbors, the
Wampanoag confederation.

THE TURKEY

The turkey is probably the most well known symbol of Thanksgiving.
The wild turkey is native to northern Mexico and to the eastern United States.
The picture directly below shows you what Benjamin Franklin had to say about the turkey:

This is an unusual Thanksgiving menu, in that
there is a lot of garlic used in some of the dishes.
We all love garlic at our house, and it's good for you too.
Speaking of garlic, every year mom & dad try to make it to the Garlic Festival
in Gilroy, California. As they're nearing the the festival grounds
they roll down the car windows so they can smell the garlic in the fields.
We've never been to the festival, mom & dad said dogs aren't allowed -- Rats!

A GARLIC LOVER'S THANKSGIVING

Relish Tray and Dill Dip
Garlic Lover's Turkey
Martha Stewart's Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Creole Cornbread Stuffing
Giblet Gravy
Garlic Oregano Green Beans
Black Walnut Sweet Potato Casserole
Brandied Cranberry Orange Sauce
Pumpkin Pie With Pecans
Store Bought Dinner Rolls (or make your own if you're ambitious!)
Beer, wine, eggnog, cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks
Coffee and/or Hot Tea

Oh yeah, click here if you'd like to know a secret about Thanksgiving at our house.

Click here for a fun way to prepare your holiday turkey!

We hope you enjoyed our Thanksgiving Page, come back and see us again.
Love, Lizzie, Honey & Daisy.