Thanksgiving Was Not Always "Turkey Day"

In fact, our modern-day Thanksgiving celebration speaks very little about the actual diet of the Massachussets pilgrims. Instead of turkey, pies and sweet cranberry jelly, early Anglophone settlers were more likely to eat fowl, venison, lobster, mussels (it should already sound more enticing than our version of the meal!), grapes and flint corn. Intrigued? Go here for more. As it were, the 19th century editor of a women's magazine concocted much of what is served on the last Sunday of every November based on one of the few accounts we have of the historical harvest celebration. Her figmented celebration garnered so much support that Lincoln declared it a national holiday in 1863.