The REAL history of Thanksgiving

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) — Turkey, mashed potatoes, feasts, Black Friday, and Charlie Brown – nowadays what we call the trademarks of thanksgiving. But the history of this holiday isn’t as simple or even as happy as you may think.

Curator of history and archeology Vida Jaber with Museum of the West tells me even the first accounts of thanksgiving are blurred, for instance, a thanksgiving was recorded in May of 1578 where an English explorer celebrated his arrival in New Finland.

The one we’re all familiar with, of course, is the 1621 harvest – and that feast included a lot of food not found on our tables today – like duck, geese, venison, cod, bass and even eel.

But one dish never found to be recorded in the early thanksgivings – pumpkin pie.

Vida adds only two primary sources’ accounts make up the story we know today…William Bradford and Edward Winslow.

Winslow published a book in 1622 called, “Mourt’s relation.” He describes the event in only a paragraph.

But this now joyous holiday is not celebrated the same by everyone – for the Indians, including director of the Ute Indian Museum CJ Brafford, it can even be looked at as a day of mourning, but can also serve as a reminder to remember the ancestors.

As history moves forward, more and more about the past can be lost if we don’t make an effort to keep our stories alive.

Nobody knows the full truth of thanksgiving, but CJ says we can all take the day to remember our roots and be thankful not just for the harvest, but for the loved ones we have.

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