Pilgrims, Plymouth Rock, Poultry, and Pumpkin Pie will all be on the menu next week as we Americans, of every origin, re-enact and re-interpret the story of that first Thanksgiving in 1621. Somehow, in the story of those Englishmen and women of a strict Calvinist religion, we find meaning to suit the needs of a multi-ethnic and multireligious nation.
Truly, Thanksgiving is THE AMERICAN HOLIDAY. It is not associated with any particular religion, ethnic background, or merican geography. Thanksgiving is a canvass with a few immutable features penciled in, but it is for every American family to complete the picture as they choose. Italian-Americans, who arrived near three centuries after the first Thanksgiving, have embraced the holiday and have enriched it with traditions from the old country. There are many jokes about serving turkey and lasagna!
The pilgrims also gave us Democracy. On board the ship Mayflower, which was anchored at Provincetown, the pilgrims signed the Mayflower Compact to:
"solemnly and mutually in the Presence of God and one of another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politick, for our better Ordering and Preservation, and Furtherance of the Ends aforesaid; And by Virtue hereof to enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions and Offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the General good of the Colony; unto which we promise all due submission and obedience."
And, thus, was established the first experiment in limited self-government in North America. Much has changed since 1621. The America of 2025 is one that the Pilgrims could never have imagined. Yet, their faith, their perseverance, and their early experiment in democracy, still continue. Italian-Americas have not been shy about seeking, and winning, elected offices at the local, state, and national levels.
May God bless all the readers of the Post-Gazette with his bounty.May he bring all traveling over the weekend safely to their destinations.
May he open our hearts to be attentive to the needs of those less fortunate.
