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by Lynn Greene

Thanksgiving a time for family traditions

Here’s a Thanksgiving Day quiz — see how much you know about the holiday and its traditions:

1. What year did the Pilgrims have their first Thanksgiving Feast?
a) 1619, b) 1620, c) 1621, d) 1935

2. What food was probably not on the Pilgrims’ Thanksgiving menu?
a) potatoes, b) corn, c) fish, d) dried fruit

3. The Horn of Plenty, or cornucopia, which symbolizes abundance, originated in what country?
a) Holland, b) Greece, c) America, d) Turkey

4. In 1676, a day of thanksgiving was proclaimed to take place during what month?
a) May, b) June, c) October, d) November

5. What president didn’t like the idea of having a national Thanksgiving Day?
a) Washington, b) Nixon, c) Truman, d) Jefferson

6. Who is credited with leading the crusade to establish Thanksgiving Day?
a) Sarah Jessica Parker, b) Sarah Lee, c) Sarah Josepha Hale, d) Sarah Ferguson

7. Which president first established the date of Thanksgiving as a national celebration?
a) Jefferson, b) Adams, c) Lincoln, d) Wilson

8. Which president moved the date of Thanksgiving twice?
a) Lincoln, b) T. Roosevelt, c) F. D. Roosevelt, d) Eisenhower

9. The reason Thanksgiving was moved up a week was:
a) To fulfill a political promise, b) To ward off evil spirits, c) Due to public pressure, d) To lengthen the Christmas shopping season

10. Canada celebrates Thanksgiving on
a) the second Monday in October, b) the second Thursday in November, c) third Thursday in November, d) May 1

Today’s holiday

Even though no one knows for sure whether turkey was served at the first Thanksgiving, it’s pretty much the traditional meat for today’s Thanksgiving meals.

Accompanying that turkey, or, if you have a small gathering, the cornish hen or chicken, you probably will serve some kind of stuffing inside the bird. Or, you may opt for dressing — which is the same thing but cooked outside of the bird in a separate roaster or bowl. If you want to dress it up a little this year, here are some suggestions:

The stuffing should be a bit drier than a dressing because the juice from the turkey will keep it moist. Remember that stuffing usually expands a bit too, so don’t overpack it.
Use dried bread or croutons or slice leftover bread and let it dry overnight or bake it in a low oven for 45 minutes or so until it is dry. Bread that is too moist will make a soggy, sticky dressing.
Variations on a theme can include adding fruit or nuts to your favorite recipe. Try raisins, craisins (dried cranberries), chopped prunes, diced apples or pears, pecans or walnuts or a combination.
Seasonings can be adjusted to your taste. For a traditional flavor, use dried sage, then add parsley and thyme to taste. Savory and garlic will add additional layers to the taste.
If you like the traditional-style dressing but are running out of ovens and burners, try this recipe for a crockpot.

Crockpot dressing

Serves 12
2/3 cup butter
2 cups chopped onion
2 cups chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped parsley
12 cups day old bread cubes, dried overnight
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 Tbsp. dried sage leaves
1 Tbsp. dried thyme leaves
1 tsp. dried savory leaves
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
3-1/2 cups chicken or turkey broth
3 eggs, beaten

Cut up dried bread and place in a 5-6 quart crock pot.

In a heavy skillet, melt butter over low heat. Add onion, celery and parsley; cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour over bread cubes, then add all seasonings and toss well. Pour in enough broth to moisten, about 1/3 cup at a time, tossing with fork. Don’t make it too wet. Add eggs and mix well. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, sprinkling with chicken stock once or twice during the cooking time.

Quiz answers

1621 is correct. The winter of 1620, the Pilgrims’ first in the country, was devastating. They lost 46 of the original 102 people who sailed on the Mayflower.
Potatoes is correct. The first Thanksgiving probably consisted of venison, fish, boiled pumpkin and corn bread.
The Horn of Plenty comes from Holland. The Pilgrims were originally members of the English Separatist Church and had fled to Holland before embarking on the Mayflower to America.
The governing council of Charlestown, Mass., proclaimed June 29 as a day of thanksgiving.
George Washington proclaimed a National Day of Thanksgiving in 1789. Thomas Jefferson, however, scoffed at the idea.
Sarah Josepha Hale was a magazine editor and championed the idea of a National Day of Thanksgiving.
President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November as a National Day of Thanksgiving.
(and 9) President Franklin Roosevelt moved the day of
Thanksgiving up one week to the next-to-last Thursday in order to create a longer Christmas shopping season. He later moved it back to its original date. In 1941, Congress finally sanction Thanksgiving as a legal holiday on the fourth Thursday of November.
Canada celebrates Thanksgiving on the second monday in October.

Lynn Greene is senior editor for Community Shoppers Inc., which publishes the Stateline News. Contact her at lgreene@communityshoppers.com.