Every year, the United States has a national holiday called Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November. Traditionally, Thanksgiving is a holiday spent with family, so many Tulane students use the week to travel back home to do so. This year, Tulanes Thanksgiving break is from Novemver 20- 24, and as some students celebrate, international students may be left wondering what the holiday entails.
What is the history behind Thanksgiving?
The origin of the holiday is the “first Thanksgiving.” It is a commonly-held belief that this first Thanksgiving was held in 1621 as a celebration of a successful harvest season in the Plymouth Rock Colony that 90 members of the Wampanoag tribe and 53 Pilgrims attended. In 1827, writer Sarah Josepha Hale petitioned to make Thanksgiving a national holiday. Over the next 36 years, she wrote countless letters to influential politicians around the country until Abraham Lincoln agreed in 1863 to “heal the wounds of the nation” by making Thanksgiving a holiday. Franklin Roosevelt signed the bill in 1941, officially designating it as the fourth Thursday in November.
While this is the version of the history of Thanksgiving taught to many Americans, it is only one narrative. History books and school curricula often fail to mention the environmental devastation and genocide inflicted upon the Wampanoag people by the Plymouth Rock Colony. Evidence shows that the Wampanoag tribe was ravaged by a plague epidemic. Since 1970, the United American Indians of New England have organized a “National Day of Mourning” as a protest against Thanksgiving, as the day after Thanksgiving is also Native American Heritage Day.
- If you want to learn more about indigenous people's thoughts about Thanksgiving, visit here.
- Review the Tulane Land Acknowledgement to learn more about the indigenous presence on the land on which our university is located.
- Information About U.S. Thanksgiving Traditions
Thanksgiving Meal
We all love food. And what do you know? The centerpiece of this holiday is food. And lots of it! Yum! A typical Thanksgiving meal comprises of:
- Roasted Turkey with stuffing (a seasoned bread mixture often cooked inside the turkey)
- Cranberry Sauce: a sweet and tangy sauce made from cranberries complementing the turkey
- Mashed potatoes
- Gravy: a sauce made from the turkey drippings
- Pumpkin Pie: A pie made from pumpkin and spices, often served with whipped cream.
New Orleans "Meal Twist"
You may also get to taste some New Orleans-specific dishes infused with seafood, creole and Cajun influences.
- Cajun Injected Turkey
- Fried Turkey
- Turducken: Say what? Is that a word? Indeed, it is- a de-boned chicken (ken) stuffed into a de-boned duck (duc), which is stuffed into a turkey (Tur) = Turducken
- Crawfish, oyster, or Shrimp Dressing
- Sweet Potato Casserole: Mashed sweet potatoes/yams with brownsugar, butter and pecans topped with roasted marshmallos or a sugary, nutty praline topping
- Crawfish or Shrimp Etouffee, Jambalaya, Gumbo
- Sweet Potato Pie: Similar to pumpkin pie but made from sweet potatoes
- Pecan Pie: A classic Southern dessert made with pecans, corn syrup, and butter
- Local Food Critic Ian McNulty's How New Orleans Makes All-American Thanksgiving It's Own
Thanksgiving Activities
Apart from the meal, some other activities that happen on this special holiday are:
- Sharing thanks: It’s common to go around the table for everyone to share what they are thankful for. This is also a good opportunity to express thanks to your host for their hospitality.
- American Football: Often people will gather together to watch American football Games
- Thanksgiving Parade: Many cities host parades. New Orleans hosts its own Thanksgiving Day Parade featuring local flavor and musical performances. In some neighborhoods, there might be informal "second line" parades with brass bands and lively dancing.
- Community Outreach: Some people engage in community outreach, offering meals to those in need.
- Artistic Expression: Your hosts might incorporate live music, art, performances, or creative element to their celebration.
New Orleans Thanksgiving Activities
In addition to the activities mentioned above, people enjoy doing the following on Thanksgiving:
- Thanksgiving at the Racetrack: for decades people like to dress up, and wear interesting hats and go to the racetrack on Thanksgiving day. You can see photos of the event here.Video of 2022 Thanksgiving Day at the Racetrack
- The Turkey Day Race has been taking place in Tad Gormley Stadium for over 100 years. It has a Kids' half mile race along with the main 5K race. It is a great way to exercise and make room for a large Thanksgiving meal afterwards.
- Volunteer locally
- Thanksgiving in local restaurants
