Día de Acción de Gracias

Celebrating Thanksgiving started in the U.S. when President Lincoln proclaimed it as a national holiday in 1863. It commemorates the harvest feast of thanks shared between the Mayflower Pilgrims and the Native Americans Wampanoag tribe in 1621. More than likely the feast consisted of venison, hunted by the Natives, ducks or geese provided by the Pilgrims, and even seafood like lobster or seal, more abundant in the area of Cape Cod. If they had turkey it would have been wild turkey and not the main course of the meal.

In Canada they celebrate Thanksgiving in October. Again, as a remembrance of a feast of thanks partaken between the French explorer Champlain’s Order of Good Cheer settlers, L'Ordre de Bon Temps, and the indigenous First Nations neighbors.

Latinx communities in the U.S. have adopted the tradition with gusto. Enriching their meals with their own homeland flavors.

Those of Mexican ancestry might add tamales and mole to their guajolote meal, and Dominicans would include sancocho, a hearty stew, and tostones, fried plantains. Of course, the turkey itself may be seasoned according to their own traditional flavors.

My personal favorite is the Puerto Rico pavochón, which is a turkey cooked in the style of lechón, or roast suckling pig. The result is a juicy, tender, and well seasoned pavo. Here is a link to that recipe: https://latinamommeals.com/wprm_print/pavochon-puerto-rican-turkey

American expatriates have brought the Thanksgiving tradition to Latin American countries where they celebrate, Día de Acción de Gracias. In Colombia and Venezuela Thanksgiving masses are followed by a feast.

The Portuguese festivity of Dia de Ação de Graças became a holiday in Brazil in 1949.

While Thanksgiving is a day when we give thanks for the gifts of plenty that nature in “The New World” provided for us, let’s not forget that the last Thursday in November is honored by many as National Day of Mourning, remembering the millions of Native Americans who died because of European colonization. History is incomplete when we only see one side of the story.

So when you take a bite from your Thanksgiving pumpkin pie remember that “truth is in the pumpkin pie” because canned pumpkin is often made from winter squash varieties other than pumpkin, and so is our Holiday.

By Adria Cruz Tabor

11/14/2024

Thanksgiving

Christmas in Santo Tomás

PORTALS