Well, happy Thanksgiving, American Thanksgiving that is. In Australia,

Thanksgiving is celebrated on the last Wednesday of November. You know up in Canada

it gets colder there sooner, so Canada celebrates Thanksgiving on the second Monday in October

but here in America we celebrate Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of November.

That wasn't always the case.

In fact, the first Thanksgiving in New England was celebrated by the New England Puritans sometime

in late September, October,

and it wasn't just one day but lasted three days.

We have a letter from Edward Winslow who was there,

and he describes it.

He describes the food that was eaten he mentions corn and

barley and peas he does mention wild turkeys and he also talks about the Native Americans that were there. They were coming and going.

At one point, King Masa Soet showed up and he came along with his 90 mighty men.

And a number of them went out and killed five deer. So Venison was also served at that

first Thanksgiving right alongside of the turkey. Well Winslow declares in his letter that it was in fact three days of

entertaining and feasting and it was as he says because of the goodness of

God to them and providing so much and so they had not want or not lack but they had

plenty and so they had their first Thanksgiving celebration and on the menu was corn, barley, peas, cod and bass, so they also had fish,

venison and turkey. And that was in 1621. Well, let's fast forward to 1863. America is in the very middle of the Civil War.

President Abraham Lincoln issues a Thanksgiving proclamation. He begins the proclamation by declaring the year is

drawing towards its close and has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields

and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed, that we are

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