SECTIONE

November 25, 2009


GOSPORTIFE


First IMELDA
CPO course
graduates;
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B2 Spotlight


Thanksgiving: from local harvest to national holiday

 ost Americans

 are familiar

 with the Pilgrim's

 Thanksgiving

feast of 1621, but few realize that it

was not the first festival of its kind

in North America.


 Long before Europeans
set foot in the Americas,
native peoples sought to
ensure a good harvest with
dances and rituals such as
the "Green Corn Dance"
of the Cherokees.
 The first Thanksgiving
service known to be held
by Europeans in North
America occurred on May
27, 1578, in Newfound-
land, although earlier
church-type services were
probably held by
Spaniards in La Florida.
However, for British New
England, some historians
believe that the Popham
Colony in Maine conduct-
ed a Thanksgiving service
in 1607. In the same year,
Jamestown Colonists gave
thanks for their safe arrival,
and another service was
held in 1610 when a supply
ship arrived after a harsh
winter. Berkeley Hundred
settlers held a
Thanksgiving service in
accordance with their char-
ter which stated that the
day of their arrival in
Virginia should be
observed yearly as a day of
Thanksgiving, but within a
few years an Indian upris-
ing ended further services
(Dabney). Thus British
Colonists held several
Thanksgiving services in
America before the


Pilgrim's celebration in
1621.
 The Pilgrims, with a
puritanical rejection of
public religious display,
held a non-religious
Thanksgiving feast, aside
from saying grace. In fact,
they seem to have used the
three days for feasting,
playing games and even
drinking liquor.
 In 1623, the Pilgrims at
Plymouth Plantation,
Mass., held another day of
Thanksgiving. As a
drought was destroying
their crops, Colonists
prayed and fasted for relief;
the rains came a few days
later. And not long after,
Capt. Miles Standish
arrived with staples and
news that a Dutch supply
ship was on its way.
Because of all this good
fortune, Colonists held a
day of Thanksgiving and
prayer on June 30. This
1623 festival appears to
have been the origin of our
Thanksgiving Day because
it combined a religious and
social celebration.
 Festivals of
Thanksgiving were
observed sporadically on a
local level formore than 150
years. They tended to be
autumn harvest celebra-
tions. But in 1789, Elias
Boudinot of Massachusetts,


The first step in roasting a picture-perfect turkey, say the experts, is to start with a quality roaster. Here are
some tips to help you choose one Roast your turkey at a constant 325-350 degrees (a 16- to 24-pound
turkey takes approximately 12 to 15 minutes per pound) Add water or broth to the pan to baste with and
to keep the meat moist Baste every 30 minutes Use a meat thermometer to ensure thorough cooking
(the deepest portion of the breast should read 170 F; the thigh, 180 F) Once finished, let the bird rest for
about half an hour so the juices settle before carving Enjoy your Thanksgiving feast.


member of the House of
Representatives, moved that
a day of Thanksgiving be
held to thank God for giving
the American people the
opportunity to create a
Constitution to preserve
their hard won freedoms. A
congressional joint commit-
tee approved the motion,
and informed President
George Washington. On
Oct. 3, 1789, the president
proclaimed that the people
of the United States observe
"a day of public thanksgiv-
ing and prayer" on
Thursday, Nov. 26.
 The next three presi-
dents proclaimed, at most,
two days of thanksgiving
sometime during their
terms of office, either on
their own initiative or at
the request of a joint reso-


lution of Congress. One
exception was Thomas
Jefferson, who believed it
was a conflict of church
and state to require the
American people hold a
day of prayer and thanks-
giving. President James
Madison proclaimed a day
of Thanksgiving to be held
on April 13, 1815, the last
such proclamation issued
by a president until
Abraham Lincoln did so in
1862.
 Most of the credit for
the establishment of an
annual Thanksgiving holi-
day may be given to Sarah
Josepha Hale. Editor of
Ladies Magazine and
Godey's Lady's Book, she
began to agitate for such a
day in 1827 by printing
articles in the magazines.


She also published stories
and recipes, and wrote
scores of letters to gover-
nors, senators and presi-
dents. After 36 years of
crusading, she won her
battle. On Oct. 3, 1863,
buoyed by the Union vic-
tory at Gettysburg,
President Lincoln pro-
claimed that Nov. 26,
would be a national
Thanksgiving Day, to be
observed every year on the
fourth Thursday of
November.
 Only twice has a presi-
dent changed the day of
observation. President
Franklin D. Roosevelt, in
order to give Depression-
era merchants more selling
days before Christmas,
assigned the third
Thursday to be


Thanksgiving Day in 1939
and 1940. But he was met
with popular resistance,
largely because the change
required rescheduling
Thanksgiving Day events
such as football games and
parades. In 1941, a con-
gressional joint resolution
officially set the fourth
Thursday of November as
a national holiday for
Thanksgiving.
 Today, Thanksgiving is
a time when many fami-
lies come together, and
many churches are open
for special services. We
have both Native
Americans and immi-
grants to thank for the
opportunity to observe a
day of thanksgiving.

Source: Smithsonian Institution


 (NAPS) More consumers are looking for
ways to improve their diets, but people generally
associate healthful meal options with higher prices.
With the daunting economy, preparing nutritious
meals may seem more challenging than ever. But
there is a delicious solution: turkey.
 Turkey is an inexpensive, nutritious alternative
to higher-priced items such as steak, fish and
seafood and it is a more healthful option than chick-
en. And while many consumers may think of it
only around Thanksgiving time or as a ham-
burger substitute turkey is an ingredient that
works well in many tasty and nutritious recipes.
 'Turkey, in its various forms and preparations,
should be a staple on everyone's grocery list," sug-
gested Christine Palumbo, a member of the


American Dietetic Association. As a registered die-
titian and nutrition expert, Palumbo focuses on
weight management, functional foods, heart dis-
ease, diabetes and cancer prevention, and overall
wellness. "It is one of the leanest proteins and can
be used as a substitute for meat in almost any
recipe."

 Spicy Turkey Tostadas
 Servings: 4
 Prep time: 15 minutes
 Total time: 25 minutes
 Total estimated cost: $12.45
 1 package (about 1 pound) lean ground turkey
 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
 1 tablespoon chili powder


 8 (5-inch) tostada shells
 4 cups shredded cabbage or precut cole slaw
 2 tablespoons lime juice
 1 teaspoon peanut or olive oil
 2 tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro
 4 plum tomatoes, chopped (about 1 cup)

 Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a medium skil-
let, combine turkey, tomato sauce and chili powder.
Simmer over medium heat, breaking up meat with
a spoon, until meat is fully cooked, about six min-
utes. Meanwhile, bake tostada shells in oven until
crisp, about six minutes. In a bowl, toss cabbage
with lime juice, oil and cilantro. Place a layer of
turkey mixture on each tostada. Top with cabbage
mixture and sprinkle with tomatoes.


Word Search 'Thanksgiving'


CRANBERRIES
 DINNER
 FAMILY
 GRAVY
 LEFTOVERS


Color Me 'Gobble, gobble'


PARADE
 PIE
PILGRIM
PUMPKIN
TURKEY


 Jokes & Groaners

 Hard-to-digest Thanksgiving jokes
Q: If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flow-
ers bring?
A: Pilgrims.

How did the Mayflower show that it liked America?
It hugged the shore.

Q: Why did they let the turkey join the band?
A: Because he had the drumsticks.

Q: What kind of music did the Pilgrims like?
A: Plymouth Rock.

Q: Which side of the turkey has the most feathers?
A: The outside.

Why did the police arrest the turkey? They suspected it of
fowl play.

Asked to write a composition titled, "What I'm thankful
for on Thanksgiving," little Rita wrote, "For one, I am
thankful that I'm not a turkey."


 Tasty

turkey

recipe

 that

 won't

 break

 the

 bank