When we sit down to our turkey or the many other culinary delights that appear at Thanksgiving dinner tables, not many families will be holding a ritualistic vigil to a faux Plymouth Rock. Firstly, the inaugural pilgrim landing was at Provincetown, Cape Cod. Secondly, according to Pilgrim Hall Museum, “there are no contemporary references to the Pilgrims’ landing on a rock at Plymouth.” Thanksgiving is thus widely perceived as a time for family. An opportunity to reunite with loved ones, friends, and relations we haven’t seen for years. It’s some time off work, a break from school, the chance for an extended romantic weekend, and more importantly, an opportunity to eat copious amounts of food without feeling too guilty! In some ways this is more representative of the original celebrations held by the Pilgrims, which were actually harvest festivals, fashioned on the English and Native traditions. Thanksgiving, as the historical landmark we celebrate, is a result of political history and has very little to do with any date or events pertaining to pilgrims or America specifically. 
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