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Fall gift baskets are perfect for Fall birthdays, office parties, Thanksgiving Day celebrations, tailgate parties, housewarmings, homecomings, family gatherings, Halloween and other Autumn events. Our Fall gift baskets also make a great way to say thank you to business associates, clients and special friends. This Fall celebrate this beautiful Autumn season with all the spectacular, crisp colors and delicious taste of Fall.
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The Thanksgiving holiday in the United States has always been filled with tradition, nostalgia and legends.
From its earliest beginnings with the
Pilgrims and the Indians, Thanksgiving has been a great source of folklore,
much of which was greatly embellished. Beyond the fantastic legends, there are
some lesser-known facts surrounding one of America's most treasured holidays.
. Despite popular belief, the
feast that took place in 1621 for three days between the Pilgrims and their
Indian friends did not represent the first time there was a celebratory feast
of thanksgiving for overcoming adversity. In 1598, Spanish colonists feasted in
celebration of their perilous arrival at the Rio Grande and invited the local
inhabitants to be their guests. In 1565, grateful Spaniards feasted with local
Indian tribes in Florida as well. Precedent had already been set for a period
of grateful reflection and lavish eating by the time the Pilgrims sat down to
dinner.
. Pilgrims were not the official
founders of the Thanksgiving holiday. It took 242 years for it to become a
national holiday in the US. President Abraham Lincoln made it official in 1863.
He also was the first to declare the fourth Thursday of November as the day of
celebration.
. Back in 1621, the Pilgrims
didn't know they were Pilgrims. They referred to themselves as Separatists, a
term used to describe their separation from the Church of England. It wasn't
until the 1700s that they became known as Pilgrims. In all likelihood, they never
described themselves as being Pilgrims.
. Today's traditional Thanksgiving
dinner menu bears little resemblance to what was likely served in 1621. Whether
there was turkey on the menu at all is questionable and debatable. As far as
pumpkin pie or cranberry sauce, well, those recipes didn't exist at that point.
Potatoes, if they were served at all, were certainly not mashed and covered
with gravy.
. The tableau of staunch Pilgrims
dressed in black seated with Indians in feathered headdress is more of an
artistic rendering than anything based in fact. Pilgrims were not confined to a
colorless wardrobe, and feathered headdresses belonged to Indian tribes in the
western US, not to those of New England stock.
. The Pilgrim thanksgiving affair
was not a formal sit-down dinner as is so often pictured. Pilgrims and Indians
alike arrived at random times during the three-day event to share whatever food
was available at the time. There was no fine china or silverware. In fact, more
food was probably consumed using fingers rather than forks.
The tales and legends woven through time about the origins and
significance of Thanksgiving have helped it grow into the beloved holiday it is
today. It is a welcomed time of reflection and gratitude for a world desperately
needing to take a step back from the chaos to appreciate the bounty of life.
Today’s technology makes it easy to reach out to faraway friends and relatives who live across the country. Show them that you are thankful to have them in your life. Send beautiful Thanksgiving Gift Baskets by mail delivered to their door.