Ep 32 What Is Thanksgiving. It's More Than You Think!

I love Thanksgiving and I love my family and friends.  This year, I woon't be making my usual trip home because of the 'Rona going around.

So, I asked myself, "Self, what would you like to share with you friends about his special time of them year?"  This show is what I cam up with. Nothing complicated, just good stuff about the giving of thanks.  I hope you enjoy it and Happy Thanksgiving!

Follow JJ: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!  The Jeff Johnson Show. Real. Genuine. Authentic. Jeff!

 What the Jeff Johnson Show “IS” and “IS NOT”:

IT IS NOT:

• It’s not a news show, but we learn stuff.
• It’s not a sports show, but Garinger beats Independence all the time and we love the game.
• It’s not an “artsy” show, but local artists/performers are always in the house.
• This is not a food show, but I love livermush!(‘Nuff Said”) So, we'll be talking about food a lot!

IT IS:

• It is a Labour of Love for myself and my Hometown.
• It is a show about you and me and finding out why the Charlotte/Metrolina region is a great place to be!
• It is a show that I get to introduce you folks I grew up with who influenced me in my life. (I got some "Very Unique" friends y'all so this should be interesting!)
• It is a show that I share some of the many talented friends I’ve met along the way.  (I got some "Very Unique" friends y'all so this should be interesting!)
• It is a show that works your emotions. (“...Laughing and Crying, you know it’s the same release..”)

Follow JJ: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!  The Jeff Johnson Show. Real. Genuine. Authentic. Jeff!

Transcript

Ep 32 What Is Thanksgiving. It's More Than You Think! 

[00:00:00] JJ: [00:00:00] It's the Jeff Johnson show brought to you by O T E@ofthisearthglobal.com of this earth. global.com clothing connection. Okay.

[00:00:21] Grunge: [00:00:21] Greetings, 

[00:00:22] JJ: [00:00:22] or as we say it right here in the South, Hey y'all Hey, you know what time it is? It's time for another edition of the Jeff Johnson show a real, genuine, authentic podcast where I get to reconnect with the people and places and events of my hometown area. Charlotte, North Carolina. All right, everybody let's get this week.

[00:00:42] Show started off. Thanks giving one of my favorite times of the year. I love the fall anyway, but man, when you hook up the fall with family, faith, friends, and food, tons of food, [00:01:00] man, that's a winning combination. I hope that each and every one of you is getting ready for this. I hope that no one is traveling that much, but if you are, and you're listening to these in the car or wherever you're going, remember what this time is about.

[00:01:13] Yeah. You know, I'm going to be, uh, sharing something with you that talks about the history of Thanksgiving and all that kind of stuff. And you're going to learn a lot about it too, but it really comes down to what's in your heart, what you want to do for others, the act of giving. It's an incredible thing.

[00:01:33] It has incredible power. And I hope that each and every one of you use that act during this time to give of yourself, to give things like a smile, to help somebody in need to volunteer, to be with your family when you can zoom, call them, give them a call on the phone. Traveling right now in the COVID world.

[00:01:55] It's crazy. And I know there are a lot of you out there that are doing just that. [00:02:00] I wish you the best, but for the majority of you that stayed home, this is going to be a big win for us. All the giving of thanks for the benefit of all right. Now, I'm going to share with you. A little, a feature that I came across that talks about what Thanksgiving is now.

[00:02:21] It gets down into the grass roots of it, where it started with the people when they came over,  how it kind of transformed itself. But it's the history it's really important to know your history and to know where things came from. So enjoy this little thing talking about Thanksgiving and what it is. On the Jeff Johnson 

[00:02:44] Grunge: [00:02:44] Show.

[00:02:47] Thanksgiving seems so straightforward. Pilgrims, native Americans, turkeys fun. But how much of what you think you know about Thanksgiving is really true. Here are false things. Everyone [00:03:00] believes about Thanksgiving. Every kid with a third grade education knows the first Thanksgiving was in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621.

[00:03:08] And that it promptly turned into a beloved. Annual tradition, you know, turkeys with big hats that have buckles for some reason, all of that, but actually that's not exactly true. Flower. Immigrants did have a celebratory harvest feast in 1621, but according to the New York times, it wasn't until the 1830s, the people in new England claimed a link between that historical event and the totally unrelated annual feast they had been celebrating for years.

[00:03:35] The people of Plymouth did have religious events to give thanks for major events like the end of the dry season, but they were days of fasting, not beasting. If you hopped into it time machine and travel backward to that first Thanksgiving, which we now know wasn't actually Thanksgiving and started asking around for the pilgrims, you would have gotten a lot of blank stares that's because they didn't refer to [00:04:00] themselves as pilgrims.

[00:04:01] According to history. They called themselves separatists for saints and their own writings. They sometimes referred to themselves as planters later, settlers called them old comers. There were a few uses of the word Pilgrim in the mid 16 hundreds writings of William Bradford, governor of the Massachusetts Bay colony.

[00:04:19] But it wasn't until the late 17 hundreds that people started reading those diaries and began applying the name pilgrims to the first English immigrants. So the first Thanksgiving wasn't cult Thanksgiving, and it was celebrated by Pilgrim. It's actually called pilgrims makes sense because we think of Thanksgiving as a Pilgrim thing.

[00:04:37] We naturally assume that we aren't just celebrating the things that we as modern humans are thankful for. We're also celebrating the triumphs of the pilgrims. We are remembering their struggle for religious freedom, their perseverance in a hostile new world. Their bonds with their new native American allies.

[00:04:55] Most of all their survival through that first long brutal winter, except [00:05:00] we're actually not celebrating that at all. What we're really celebrating is the union victory at the battle of Gettysburg. Thanksgiving was first declared an official annual event in 1863, and it was Abraham Lincoln who did it.

[00:05:13] And he wasn't thinking back to the trials and tribulations of the pilgrims. He was thinking about recent events. The North had just defeated the South at the battle of Gettysburg, and that's what he wanted America to be thankful for. And since Americans love time off to eat food that tradition caught on.

[00:05:30] Thanks, general George Mead. One reason we admire the pilgrims so much is the belief that they came to America to find religious freedom. And according to conventional wisdom, when they found it, they celebrated with that first Thanksgiving. Of course, none of that is actually true. That's because the pilgrims weren't actively facing religious persecution.

[00:05:51] When they decided to come to America, they were already free of it because they fled England 10 years earlier, settle in the Netherlands, but life in the Netherlands. [00:06:00] Wasn't exactly awesome for the pilgrims. According to the Plymouth plantation. Most of the pilgrims worked long hours in the cloth trade for very little money to make matters worse.

[00:06:09] Their kids were starting to think of themselves as Dutch. So after some soul searching, the pilgrims decided to move to America where there would be religious freedom, but also economic opportunity, as well as the freedom to remain English. They signed on with a company called the Plymouth company, which promised them passage plus clothing tools and other supplies.

[00:06:30] In return, the pilgrims had to send natural resources back to England for a period of seven years. As a bonus, the pilgrims also got to establish their very own totalitarian religion and use it to argue against religious freedom for everyone else. So, yay. So remember that whole thing about Thanksgiving being a celebration where the pilgrims invited their native allies from the Wampanoag tribe to celebrate their new friendship and mutual respect.

[00:06:59] Well, there is [00:07:00] another thing that's not necessarily true. According to Indian country today, there were some cooperation between the settlers and the Wampanoags, but it wasn't all fun and games. It was mostly based on mutual need, as it turned out and a big stroke of luck for the English, a terrible epidemic had just swept through new England right before they arrived.

[00:07:19] Nobody's quite sure what the disease was, but it killed millions of people reducing the population by up to 90% in a period of just a few years. So when the pilgrims arrived, there was a bunch of empty land waiting. In fact, the town of Plymouth was originally a Patuxent village. That was left vacant after all begin habitats died during the day, wait, there was only one Patuxent left the line just Squantum no one today.

[00:07:42] The Squantum who only because he'd been kidnapped and taken to Europe as a slave at the time of the epidemic, just quantum and the Wampanoags had one thing in common with the pilgrims. They needed friends. That's because other tribes in the area, like the Narragansetts hadn't been affected as much by the epidemic [00:08:00] and the suddenly had a military advantage.

[00:08:02] So an Alliance was born between the Wampanoags and the pilgrims, despite all that though, some historians believe that the Wampanoags weren't actually invited to the first harvest feast in 1621. Instead it's likely that the natives heard the pilgrims firing their muskets. Best beginning that all to American tradition of drinking too much at a party and then grabbing a gun.

[00:08:23] So the natives thought the pilgrims needed help and crashed the party. Hey, do you guys take the pilgrims, 

[00:08:28] brought a bottle of Pinot Grigio to the 

[00:08:30] first Thanksgiving. I'll tell you what the pilgrims did. Bring. Small pox. Turkey is so traditional, but the mere suggestion of cooking something else on Thanksgiving is usually met with gasps of scandalized horror.

[00:08:45] Even if it's something sensible, like roast beef ham, and we won't even mention those who want to go completely off the Thanksgiving, train with something messed up like a turducken. So why is Turkey such a tradition on the American table? It has to be because that's what the pilgrims ate, [00:09:00] right? Actually, no.

[00:09:02] Or maybe because they definitely ate a lot of this stuff, but even if Turkey was one of those things, then it certainly wasn't the centerpiece of the feast. According to fortune, that honor goes to venison. Once they knew what was going on, the Wampanoag reportedly brought five deer to the party. And that was a big deal for the pilgrims.

[00:09:19] Because back in England, it was illegal to hunt deer. It was reserved for the nobility. So eating venison was a real delicacy. In fact, the pilgrims were actually so excited about being able to eat venison, that they were constantly talking about it and letters back home, which was probably irritating to all the hungry relatives in England, which make it munch on some deer jerky.

[00:09:40] There was other stuff on the menu too, but we can really only guess what those things were shellfish. Squash corn bread, berries and plums are all likely no potatoes or cranberries though. And no Turkey that we know.

[00:09:56] What are you trying to do?

[00:10:03] [00:10:00] It may be a Thanksgiving tradition, but not everyone thinks. Pumpkin pie is a delicious treat. In fact, some find pumpkin pie to be downright disgusting. Pumpkin is a squash. The argument goes and squash does not belong in your dessert as evidenced by both the taste and the texture. So maybe it will come as a relief to learn that pumpkin pie was not an invention of the pilgrims, nor is it likely that they ate it at that first harvest feast.

[00:10:28] According to what's cooking America. The pilgrims didn't have the kind of ovens you'd need to bake a pie. And if they had those ovens, they almost certainly would have baked something like a Berry or plum pie. Not pumpkin pilgrims did occasionally eat pumpkins because when you're starving, you know, you'll eat anything.

[00:10:45] One popular way of eating pumpkin was to slice off the top and fill the insides with milk honey and spices, and then bake it in hot ashes, which actually does sound worse than a pumpkin pie. But that's the tradition that probably led to the pumpkin [00:11:00] pie as Thanksgiving's undeserved. Signature dessert. At least modern whipped cream is an upgrade.

[00:11:05] According to tradition every year, the president of the United States of America selects a random Turkey and pardons it thus sparing the Turkey from being eaten. And according to this same tradition, it has been thus since president Harry S Truman first jokingly pardoned to Turkey back in 1947. A couple of things though, firstly, according to the Truman library, there's no record at all of this ever happening.

[00:11:30] Truman. It turns out was regularly given a gift of Turkey by the national Turkey Federation and the poultry and egg national board. But it was usually at Christmas, not Thanksgiving and far from pardoning. It Truman was known to comment about how he and his family were definitely going to eat it. So where did this tradition actually come from while some claim that it was Lincoln, who started it by pardoning his son Ted's pet Turkey during the civil war, according to Snopes.

[00:11:57] President Ronald Reagan, who first mentioned [00:12:00] pardoning a Turkey. It was a joke. His successor, George H w Bush decided to be that guy by taking the joke too far and actually pardoning a real Turkey. And this is apparently how the tradition actually started. Ironically, most pardons, Thanksgiving turkeys only live for a couple of years because they're bred to be fad and tasting, which means their bodies.

[00:12:20] Aren't usually compatible with life. When your friends or family grown that they could not possibly help with the dishes because of the Turkey coma. Most people just side with acceptance because every armchair scientist knows that the levels of the chemical trip to fan bound in Turkey is so high, that it makes people artificially sleepy.

[00:12:41] Here's the thing though. That's not the whole truth. Sure. Turkey has tryptophan, but so do a lot of other foods like cheese, fish and eggs. What's different about Thanksgiving is that people eat a ton of food. And besides Turkey, they're likely eating all sorts of carbs, like mashed potatoes, bread, rolls, and stuffing.

[00:13:00] [00:13:00] When you eat a lot of carbs, your body produces insulin and the insulin removes amino acids from your body. Except for some reason, trip the fan, which then has free reign to party inside your head. Once in your brain, it formed serotonin and melatonin, which is what makes you want to pass out on the couch and not do dishes.

[00:13:18] So it turns out the so-called Turkey coma is really caused by everything else on the table. And all you have to do to avoid it is not eat so much. Sorry, Turkey breath, but it's time to do your sheriff conditions. One popular myth holds that the term black Friday refers to black ink because it's the day when merchants finally start to turn a profit.

[00:13:39] After a long, hard broke rest of the year. Up until then, supposedly they've had to do their accounting and Redding, which signifies a loss, but thanks to American shopping until they drop in a mad pre-Christmas binge on black Friday, all those merchants can finally break out the black pins to Mark a prophet sounds perfectly [00:14:00] capitalistic, but it's also a load of hooey.

[00:14:02] According to Snopes the term black Friday was first sarcastically used in 1951 by employers who were annoyed that their employees always called in sick. The day after Thanksgiving, by the 1960s, beliefs were using it to, to describe the chaos of the first day of the holiday shopping season. And that eventually evolved into the urban legend we have now today, of course, no one really cares why it's called black Friday, as long as there'll be an awesome deal on the new iPhone.

[00:14:30] And it's that kind of opportunity for the descendants that the pilgrims were truly giving thanks for.

[00:14:36]JJ: [00:14:36] You know, knowledge is always power. Cause once you have it, no one can take it away from you. That was an interesting little bit right there on what Thanksgiving is all about. We're going to be back in just a minute with some folks that are just grateful for what they have and what talk about what Thanksgiving means coming back on the Jeff Johnson show.

[00:14:58] Just a minute. Don't go anywhere. [00:15:00] Happy Thanksgiving 

[00:15:04] PSA: [00:15:04] help protect your family from flu this season by taking three easy steps first, get yourself and your family, a flu shot it's quick and can protect you all season second. Take everyday actions to help prevent the spread of germs like flu. Cover your cough.

[00:15:20] Stay home from work or school. If you're sick and wash your hands. Often third, there are drugs that can treat flu illness. These work best when started early, learn more at cdc.gov/fight flu.

[00:15:47] JJ: [00:15:47] Hey, we're back everybody. And now I want to share with you. Something that I found trolling around on the internet, looking at things, a gentleman named Ivan C Thomas got some people together and they just started talking a little bit about [00:16:00] what Thanksgiving means to them. Listen to what they have to say, and then formulate in your mind what Thanksgiving means to you.

[00:16:11] You're listening to the Jeff Johnson show. Happy Thanksgiving

[00:16:18] ICT: [00:16:18] Before this country was even a nation. We were getting together as family, as community. And sharing with each other and just celebrating, giving. Thanks for all the blessings that we have Thanksgiving means to me, it means love and memories and gathering around the family at my grandmother's house, sharing recipes, getting to know each other, um, catching up on a latest gossip in the family.

[00:16:47] Thanks giving to me is the one time a year when we get to come together. Over feast and family, and just reflect on gratitude, [00:17:00] abundance, and to show appreciation for our blessings. We try to like volunteer through different places like going to the soup kitchens or other places. I volunteer a lot. I help out in the community.

[00:17:16] Um, Thanksgiving drives. I re actually I ring a bell for salvation army. Um, Bellefonte Methodist church. I help out. Um, when it drives coat drives, I give out a lot in the community. That's what Thanksgiving is all about. It's a rich, full tradition that has gone for generations and generations. And I see it as something that will continue to last for.

[00:17:41] Thousands millions of years

[00:17:43] From the Nesbitt Cohen family to yours. We wish you love peace blessings.

[00:17:49] From the grant family to yours. Happy Thanksgiving.

[00:17:54] From my family to yours. Happy Turkey day. Except if you're Vegan and then enjoy the [00:18:00] tofu.

[00:18:01] For my family. I like to say happy Thanksgiving.

[00:18:07] Yo, what's up from my family to your family.

[00:18:09] This is big Ive. And, and from Madison, my little little girl right here, happy Turkey day, we love y'all peace and blessings, blessings, and peace. 

[00:18:21] JJ: [00:18:21] Yes, indeed. Ladies and gentlemen, it is so important for us to be saved during this Thanksgiving. Look, all you got to go to find out more information. If you want to just go online cdc.com, they've got a seat.

[00:18:33] Excuse me, cdc.org. They've got all kinds of information and that's the place you need to go, but use your common sense. You know, you need to be outside. If it's too cold, you might not be able to go the operative thing. Is to still celebrate this wonderful day of Thanksgiving for being thankful for the things that we have with each other.

[00:18:55] There are a lot of different ways to do it, but the most important way to do it is to be safe. [00:19:00] You've been listening to the Jeff Johnson show. I thank you so much for listening. You can get this podcast everywhere you download your podcasts. You can go to get JJ now.com to listen as well. Please send in suggestions, ideas for different shows.

[00:19:15] We really appreciate him. Thanks a lot, everybody. And we'll see you next week.

[00:19:23] It's the Jeff Johnson show brought to you by OTE @ofthisearthglobal.com of this earth. global.com clothing connection. O T E.