THANKSGIVING

 

How did our ancestors celebrate Thanksgiving.?   My father never mentioned the celebrations.  He grew up during the depression and perhaps there was not any celebration. What he did mention was in his childhood he ate a lot of “soupy potatoes”   His mother was widowed in her late twenties and remarried about ten years later.   She did housekeeping jobs to keep the family and I can not imagine there being much money doing that.   My dad also recalled her taking in ”boarders” to help with the expenses. 

My father had one biological brother and a few stepsiblings. The only one I remember was his stepbrother Bill. Bill was a police officer and he had died early from a heart attack. I have no ideas about Bill’s sisters, but, I think that they had also died young.

I only know back as far as my grandparents.   But when I was in grade school my mother took over the job.  What I can not remember is having the dinner with both of my grandparents at the same time.   I wonder if they did not get along to cause this and why did I not find it strange.   I will have to ask the siblings.

What I remember is the smell of roasting turkey when I awakened on Thanksgiving morning.   I suppose my mother got up early and started the process.   We always seemed to eat our meal about one o’clock in the afternoon.   She did the whole process herself.    On the menu was turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, vegetables, cranberry sauce and pies with whipped cream for dessert.   

When dinner was done we would all help with the dishes.  My father washed them and one of the children would dry.  It was his was of saying Thank You to my mother for  preparing the meals.

Today we will meet at my brothers and the clan extends to about twenty one today.  Most will be there and along with new family members as the nieces and nephews start to marry.  No children yet.