Thanks to the Outdoors

Thanksgiving…
This year when you sit down to your Thanksgiving dinner, remember to thank the outdoors. Without the beautiful outdoors, the feast before you would not exist. Remember the Pilgrims, who without knowledge of their new environment, would not have survived if it wasn’t for the native Wampanoag people.

A Brief History


The Pilgrims sailed to America on the Mayflower to escape religious persecution in England. They planned to settle in the Hudson River region in New York State, which would have been considered "Northern Virginia," but they landed in Cape Cod instead. The Pilgrims migrated from there to Plymouth, where they decided to settle.

The first winter in the new land was harsh and only about half of the original pilgrims survived. In March of 1621, two Native Americans from the Patuxet tribe, Samoset and Squanto, introduced themselves to the Pilgrims, taught them how to plant and fertilize crops, and showed them the best places to catch seafood.

After the bountiful harvest in the Fall of 1621, the Pilgrims and Wampanoag people joined together to thank the outdoors for their successful harvest. The celebration lasted three days and included games, music, and a small feast. Contrary to popular belief, the Pilgrims did not celebrate Thanksgiving on an annual basis after this first feast. An annual Thanksgiving was not celebrated until the mid 17th century and did not occur on any set day or necessarily on the same day in different colonies in America.

Pilgrim Puzzler…
(Scroll down for the answer.)

The Pilgrims liked the wild turkey so much; they later wanted to give it what esteemed title?

Celebrate Outdoors…
Want to show your out-of-town relatives how beautiful Western Pennsylvania is in the fall? The Pumpkin Pie Hike is a great way to get some fresh air after the holiday. Come join us for a great hike through the local forests just before they go to sleep for the winter. After the hike we'll finish up with homemade pumpkin pie and other goodies, including our very own Trip Leader Council members Robyn Seminora-Morris and Mary Brenholts specialty pies.

When?: Friday, November 24, 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Where?: Settler's Cabin Park

For more information or more activities check out the “Activity Spotlight” or “VO Activities” listing in the right column of our e-newsletter, Contours, or visit our website (www.ventureoutdoors.org).

Give Thanks
This year remember to give thanks to the outdoors. Show your appreciation by throwing trash in a garbage can instead of out the car window, pick up the trash you see to help clean up the outdoors, and remember to recycle and purchase products made from recycled materials. Take care of your environment and remember, every little bit counts!


Thanksgiving Links
The sources for the information provided in this article are listed below, along with some great sites for all your Thanksgiving information.

Thanksgiving/History

The History Channel.com – The History Channel provides some great Thanksgiving information, including myths & facts about the holiday.

Thanksgiving on the Net – This site has tons of great information!

Wilstar: Thanksgiving, Traditions and History – This family site has the wonderful Thanksgiving story and a quiz to see how much you really know about the holiday.

The Pilgrims' 1621 Thanksgiving – This page provides lots of information on the first Thanksgiving, including quotes from some of the Pilgrims!

Wikipedia – This article on Thanksgiving is informative and includes facts about Thanksgiving celebrations around the world.

The Pilgrims

Thanksgiving on the Net: Pilgrims – This article tells how the Pilgrims landed in Cape Cod and survived in their new environment.

The Pilgrim Hall Museum – The Pilgrim Story provides loads of information, articles, and more!

Pilgrim & Puritan History – This University of Virginia site is a fantastic scholarly article containing information on Pilgrim and Puritan history, including Thanksgiving.

Squanto

The Pilgrims & Plymouth Colony: 1620, Squanto – This site provides some great information about Squanto.

Squanto: The Thanksgiving Story - A Unique American who introduces a uniquely American Holiday: Thanks Giving, which, with out him would have never occurred in fact or in spirit.

Wikipedia – This article on Squanto provides tons of information about him and his impact on our history.


PUZZLER ANSWER:
The National Bird of the United States. Benjamin Franklin said, "I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen as the representative of our country: he is a Bird of bad moral character: like those among Men who live by Sharping and Robbing, he is generally poor and very often lousy.
The Turkey is a much more respectable Bird and withal a true original Native of North America." (http://www.holidays.net/thanksgiving/turkey.htm).

For more information visit Thanksgiving on the Net.

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