Thanksgiving Tales, Part I

Before you start stuffing yourself on Thanksgiving Day you may want to ponder the origin of the holiday.  If you are not sure where to start, the National Geographic Channel's two-part miniseries Saints and Sinners, starting Sunday (November 22), will give you plenty to ponder.  

The series and accompanying facts on the website should help you to understand more about the period and related myths. For example, was Plymouth named after the place the Mayflower came from—Plymouth, England?  Oddly enough, no.  We learn:

Actually, the name “Plymouth” was already associated with the area before the Pilgrims ever set foot there. The New England coast had been mapped in 1614  by John Smith (of Pocahontas fame), and Prince Charles took it upon himself to give English names to various spots on Smith’s map. 

The fact that Plymouth, England, was the last town the Mayflower departed from is merely a coincidence. The ship had already been on its way to America when it was forced to stop at Plymouth after its companion ship, the Speedwell, started leaking irreparably and was ultimately left behind.

This series could make the holiday more meaningful and maybe even cause you to be thankful for a few additional things, such as your fortune to have missed settlement of New England.