How Do You Know About Thanksgiving?!!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I know it's a bit early, Thanksgiving isn't until next week. But my thinking was that if I post this article today, you'll have a whole week to absorb the contents. Then you'll be able to impress everyone at your Thanksgiving table with your extensive knowledge. Just don't forget to cite your source!

And with that, let the absorbing begin.

Most historians will agree that the first Thanksgiving celebration happened in 1621. After a long journey to the New World and an even longer first year trying to make a way of life, the pilgrims and the Wampanoag Native Americans sat down together and shared a Harvest Feast.

The Mayflower landed at Plymouth Rock the previous November and the pilgrims had faced an especially bitter winter they were scarcely prepared for. The following spring they were befriended by an English-speaking Indian named Tisquantum. He is more commonly known as Squanto.

Squanto had been to England several times. The first time he traveled there to serve as a translator. The second time an Englishman attempted to sell him into slavery. He escaped and lived in London for a time before he managed to make his way back to the New World. When he arrived he found that the majority of his tribe had been wiped out by an epidemic.

In their place he found the pilgrims that had spent the winter there. He soon realized that they didn't know how to survive in their new environment. It was miraculous that they had survived the first winter alone. Squanto set to work teaching the pilgrims how to cultivate and fertilize crops. He also showed them places to catch fish and eels.

It is widely agreed that without Squanto's assistance, the first settlements of the New World would have failed.

He also took part in the diplomatic missions led by some of the settlers to form an alliance with the Wampanoag tribe. Their efforts were successful and the tribe was willing to cooperate, mostly due to Squanto's example.

And so, to give thanks for the bountiful harvest and as a symbol of the cooperation between the English settlers and the Native Americans, a huge celebration was planned. The feast lasted for three days and nights and there were 53 pilgrims and approximately 90 Wampanoag in attendance.

We know much of what was prepared and served thanks to journal accounts of the celebration. It is written that the Wampanoag brought five deer to be roasted and served alongside ducks, geese, fish and lobster. Dried meat was also on the menu, as was dried fruit and berries.

Pumpkins and other types of squash were definitely served although the pilgrims lacked an oven to bake pies. Bread was not present on the table either since the supply of wheat flour brought over on the ship from Europe had long been used up. The same thing happened with the sugar supply, so sweets were not present on the table either.

Interestingly, the pilgrims had spoon and knives but not forks. They picked most of their food up with their fingers. They used cloth napkins to pick up hot food and to clean their hands. They also had salt on the table to sprinkle on their food.

It seems reasonable to assume that their food must have been bland by today's standards. But the pilgrims used many spices in their meal preparation. Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and pepper were popular seasonings and dried fruit was useful in adding flavor as well.

After the first feast at Plymouth, the tradition of a harvest feast continued in America. But it wasn't formally endorsed as a federal holiday until 1941 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a bill designating the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day.

Even after hundreds of years, a Thanksgiving feast is still an annual tradition in nearly every American household. And in today's world when so many holidays often seem to be overshadowed by commercialization, Thanksgiving Day has managed to remain centered around family, friends, and appreciation for the blessings in our life.

When all of this is taken into account, there is no doubt that Thanksgiving will continue to hold a special place in the hearts of Americans for many years to come.

How Do You Know About Friday The 13th?!!

A Friday the 13th will occur at least once a year, but today is the third time the 13th has fallen on a Friday in 2009. Three is the maximum amount possible in any given year.

It's not uncommon for people to refuse to board an airplane, act on a stock tip, or even buy a house when the thirteenth falls on a Friday. Some people suffer from so much anxiety that they will stay in bed for the day, even if it means calling in sick.

 

The irrational and disabling fear of today's date is called Paraskevidekatriaphobia. Symptoms of the phobia include; shortness of breath, increased heart rate, hot or cold flashes, feeling like you've lost your sense of self, and numbness or tingling sensations.

While true cases of true Paraskevidekatriaphobia are rare. There is no denying that there are many people who consider today's date to be an unlucky one. One source places the number of people affected in some way between 17 and 21 million. And that's just here in the United States.

Determining the origins of the fear surrounding today's date is a difficult task. The earliest known documentation exists in a biography about Giancho Rossini written in 1869. But it is very likely that the folklore was passed down orally for centuries before that.

It is commonly accepted that two ancient associations of bad luck with the number 13 eventually became intertwined and led to the superstitions that exist today.

The first comes from a Norse myth in which 12 of the Gods were having a dinner party together at Valhalla. Loki, known ambiguously as both a helpful servant to the Gods and a trickster, had not been invited. Angered by this, Loki took on the shape of an old hag and showed up to the party. Once there, he managed to convince Holdur, the blind God of darkness, to shoot his brother Baldur, God of joy and gladness. Baldur died and the whole earth mourned in darkness.

In many places around the world it is still considered terrible luck to have 13 eat together and many believe that the first to rise from such a table will be the first to die.

The second association comes from the story of the Last Supper. Judas, the apostle who betrayed Jesus, was the 13th guest to the last supper. It is also well known among Christians that Christ was crucified on a Friday. And some biblical scholars believe that Abel was slain by Cane on a Friday the Thirteenth.

Another association comes from ancient Rome. They believed that witches often gathered in groups of twelve, leaving a thirteenth place open for the Devil.

Between both Christian and Pagan associations of the number 13 with misfortune, it is no wonder that society continues to regard today's date with a sense of foreboding. Some Numerologists have pointed out that its position after twelve may play a factor as well.

There are 12 months in a year, 12 signs in the zodiac, Jesus had 12 apostles. There were 12 tribes of Israel, 12 Gods of Olympus and 12 labors of Hercules. The number 12 seems to signify a sense of completion in the human psyche. Therefore, 13 seems to have a sense of restlessness attached to it.

Indeed, even in today's culture there still seems to be an ominous sense surrounding the number. Many airports will not have a 13th gate. And hospitals and hotels will routinely skip over a 13th room. In Europe, oftentimes the house between number 12 and number 14 will be 12 1/2. And sometimes the designers of high rise buildings will go as far as to skip 13 when numbering the floors.

Whether this is more often due to quirky tradition or true superstition is debatable. But there is no doubt that the number 13 steadfastly remains associated with mishaps, setbacks, and tragedy in our minds.

If this article has managed to spook you into putting some stock into the superstitions, there are many ways to counter your bad luck. A Google search for "bad luck remedy" will return about 384,000 results. They range from simple and concise to outrageously complex and lengthy.

So if you feel that today might hold some misfortune for you, take your pick of charm or ritual and get to work. The next Friday the 13th will occur in August of 2010. Good luck!

How Do You Know About The Gunpowder Plot?!!

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.

Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t'was his intent
To blow up the King and Parli'ment.
Three-score barrels of powder below
To prove old England's overthrow;

By God's providence he was catch'd
With a darkened lantern and burning match.
So holler boys, holler boys, let the bells ring.
Holler boys, holler boys, God save the King!

Immortalized in nursery rhymes, the story of the Gunpowder Plot is introduced to children in the United Kingdom at an early age.

But seeing as most of my readers did not grow up in the U.K. there is a fair chance that you have never heard of Guy Fawkes.

Throughout the second half of the 16th century, Queen Elizabeth I ruled over England. She was very much loved by her subjects. Her moves to establish a protestant church in England and her defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 had forever established her as the ruler of a golden age in the hearts of the English people.

In 1603, Queen Elizabeth died. And being The Virgin Queen, she had never married and therefore never produced her own heir to the throne. This meant that James I, son of Mary Queen of Scots, was next in line to succeed the throne.

English Catholics looked forward to James' succession in the hopes that he would be more tolerant of their religion since his own mother was Catholic. However, those hopes were in vain.

King James was not any more tolerant of Catholicism than Queen Elizabeth had been. So a number of young Catholics began to form a plan to both remove King James from the throne and rid England of Parliament members who supported Catholic repression.

A small group banded together under the leadership of Robert Catesby. Thirteen young men, coming mostly from affluent Catholic families, began to plot to restore Catholic rule to England. And they all agreed that violent action was warranted.

Indeed, it became obvious to them that the thing to do would be to blow up the Houses of Parliament during the State Opening of 1605. This would ensure that in one fell swoop, they would be able to assassinate King James I, The Prince of Wales, several disagreeable Parliament Members, and the Senior Bishops of The Church of England.

In doing so, they would make way for Princess Elizabeth II, King James' daughter, to take the throne at only nine years old and be taught to rule as a Catholic Monarch.

The young men managed to get their hands on 36 barrels of gunpowder and began to work out the best way to lay it under the House of Lords. They originally planned to mine their way underneath but that process proved to be too time consuming.

Parliament in those days was housed in a former royal palace that was surrounded by lodgings, shops, and taverns. Guy Fawkes knew that inside knowledge of the building would be necessary. So he used the pseudonym "John Johnson" (why that name never aroused suspicion is any man's guess) to secure a job as a servant.

One of the conspirators then heard, by chance, that a coal merchant had vacated a chamber directly beneath the House of Lords. He took action to secure a lease on that chamber immediately.

Fawkes then set to work slowly filling the room with gunpowder. It took him several months to do so since it had to be done in secret and when he wouldn't be missed from his servant's position. He had the job done by March of 1605. All 36 barrels had been stored in the underground chamber and concealed underneath piles of firewood and coal.

Then the conspirators had nothing to do but wait. The opening of Parliament had been postponed from September to November of 1605. Many of the thirteen Gunpowder Plot members left London for the summer with promises to reconvene in the fall to carry out their plan.

Over their summer holidays, some of the Plot members seem to have discovered a conscience of their own. They realized that many innocent people would be hurt or killed in the attack, including those who had been fighting for Catholic rights.

About a week before the assassination attempt was to take place, one of the group members even sent an anonymous letter to Lord Monteagle who had been a close friend. The letter warned him to stay away from Parliament on November 5th. Monteagle had the letter read aloud at an informal meeting, possibly to warn the conspirators that their plan was folly. News of the letter then made its way to the King.

The Plot members heard news that the letter had been publicized. Guy Fawkes inspected the chamber under the House of Lords and found that everything was exactly as he had left it. They decided to go ahead with their plans.

Fawkes offered to be the one to light the explosives and in the early hours of the 5th of November, he crept down to the chamber to make sure everything was in place for the coming evening. As he was leaving he was discovered by the King's men who had been ordered to search the cellars.  The men quickly discovered the gunpowder and arrested Fawkes.

He continued to tell them his name was John Johnson but made no attempt to conceal his intent. Under instruction from King James, Fawkes was taken to the Tower of London. While there he was tortured and interrogated. Throughout all of that he continued to insist that he had acted alone.

It didn't do much good though. Most of the remaining conspirators were caught when they attempted to lead a revolt. They were all tried and convicted of High Treason. Their sentence was to be hanged, drawn, and quartered.

Guy Fawkes had one last show of defiance in mind though. When he was to be hanged until almost dead, he jumped from the gallows and broke his neck. Therefore, skipping out on being drawn and quartered.

On the evening of November 5th, news had made it to the people that an assassination attempt on the King had been foiled. Though they knew little more than that, Londoners lit bonfires throughout the city in thanksgiving.

The celebrations became a tradition known as bonfire night and they grew more elaborate as the years went by. Soon, fireworks were included in the celebrations. And then children began to make effigies of Guy Fawkes which they simply referred to as, "The Guy." They would tote him through the streets and beg passersby for a, "Penny for The Guy." They would then use their pennies to buy fireworks.

In the evening, they would place The Guy on top of their bonfires and set the whole thing alight. Sometimes they would include an effigy of the Pope or a contemporary politician as well. The practices are still continued today in some areas, though they are viewed as quirky traditions rather than acts of hostility.

In recent times, Bonfire Night could be considered a cousin of Halloween, with begging for pennies taking the place of trick-or-treating. It is traditional to cook potatoes in the fire. And black treacle and toffee apples are quite popular as well. 

While the holiday has taken on an old-fashioned and almost childish reputation in modern times, some English continue to wonder, in a tongue-in-cheek sort of way, whether they are really celebrating the execution of Guy Fawkes or honoring his attempt to do away with the government.