Next Thursday I’m going to have a Sunday breakfast, make a nice fire and settle in for a day of solitude while making a new batch of food memories. Calling up food memories from the past is bound to uncomfortable or even painful. Making new memories will be, for the first time, ordering dinner out, and feasting by myself. The only part of the meal that I’ll be making is whole berry cranberry sauce since that is one of my favorites and no one else’s. It’s always so important who we invite to our Thanksgiving table. My sole invitation this year goes to a woman whose stick-to-itiveness brought about the American holiday I love the most. Welcome, Sarah, to my table.
The idea of setting aside a day to come together as a nation to give thanks dates back to the founding of our country. Myth and legend abound. Because of one woman’s steadfastness, we have Thanksgiving as a national holiday that is celebrated in each of the states on the last Thursday in November. Sarah Josepha Hale, wife, mother, editor, champion of women’s rights, pursed the idea of Thanksgiving as a national holiday starting in 1827. She wrote articles and editorials while lobbying state and federal officials to pass legislation creating a national fixed holiday. “She believed that such a unifying measure could help ease the tensions and divisions between the northern and southern parts of the country…By 1854, more than 30 states…had a thanksgiving celebration…” (Barbara Maranzoni, 2019: Abraham Lincoln Thanksgiving Credit to Sara Josepha Hale)
The holiday continued to be observed by both the Union and Confederacy throughout our civil war. In 1862, Hale urged Lincoln to declare Thanksgiving a national holiday, which he did in October 1862 in hopes of healing our differences. Here we are on the eve of Thanksgiving 2020, healing our differences while healing our bodies. Unfortunately, we can’t all be around the table for this Thanksgiving, but we can conjure up food memories of the past and make food memories that heal us in the present.
Who are you inviting to your Thanksgiving table? I’ll share my “dining with Sarah” with you next week. I look forward to hearing about your new food memories and sharing mine with you.
Stories From Around The Table 
This is so nice, Karen. Fran and I have been thinking about you. I went to Milosky’s Turkey Farm in Calverton yesterday to pick up a fresh 16 lb. turkey and then dropped it off at Maura’s house. We will be safe-distancing with them on Thanksgiving.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mike,
It’s wonderful to hear from you. I wish you and Fran and your wonderful family a Happy Thanksgiving. It’s so interesting the way this Thanksgiving is turning out….part tradition/part brand new world. We always had a big turkey from Grumman’s , a holiday treat for their employees. The new approach to this holiday is the question of who and how you’ll be sharing the meal. My sisters will be each staying at home, and I’ll be just be taking time to think about how grateful I am for my family, good friends and a wonderful restaurant with great take-out across the street from the house I feel happy in…..Can’t wait to make some food memories with you and Fran this summer when we can get together for a clambake! (all the celebration of holidays rolled into one big steaming pot of seafood)
LikeLiked by 1 person