November 27 is Thanksgiving Day. A poem written by Lydia Maria Child in the 1800s relates the excitement of this special day during her lifetime; the thrill of the journey remains today. The automobile fills in nicely for the horse.
“Over the river and through the woodTrot fast, my dapple-graySpring over the groundLike a hunting-houndFor this is Thanksgiving DayOver the river and through the woodAnd straight forward through the barn-yard gateWe seem to goextremely slowIt is so hard to waitOver and through the woodNow grandmother’s cap I spyHurrah for the fun!Is the pudding doneHurrah for the pumpkin pie!”
History books give credit to the Plymouth settlement of 1621 for holding the first Thanksgiving celebrating the harvest. Virginia history corrects this, telling about the Thanksgiving held in Virginia on December 4, 1619 at Berkeley Hundred on the James River, now Berkeley Plantation.
Once the 35 settlers and five crew members landed, they knelt to pray. The day included a light repas...