Once November begins each year, most primary grade classrooms in the country spend some time teaching about Thanksgiving and integrating Thanksgiving related activities into the core curriculum. Although the amount of time we spend on it has been greatly reduced since the focus has shifted to teaching to the standardized test – Thanksgiving isn’t on the test – it is important that, if anything, our kids understand the reason Thanksgiving is celebrated (well kind of now that Black Friday has seeped into Thursday’s holiday). Anyhow, while reading a book to my kids about Thanksgiving last week, it reminded me of the time I visited the site of the first Thanksgiving.
When I lived in New England, I spent most Thanksgivings with friends as it was too far to fly home for such a short period of time. However, my junior year of college, my parents flew east so we could spend Thanksgiving together. After my last class before the long weekend, we drove south to the Cape.
Plimoth Plantation was our destination for Thanksgiving that year. It is a reenactment visitors’ center.
In addition to the museum, you can’t go to Plymouth without visiting Plymouth Rock. In fact, that is what I most looked forward to seeing. The rock itself has been moved from its supposed original site numerous times. It is now housed in a memorial type structure with a viewing area.
When we leaned over the railing to look at the rock – the rock that is such a famous US symbol – our eyes narrowed and our smiles dropped a little. 
“That’s it?” I asked. The great rock was not great at all, in fact it was quite small in terms of a rock landing. 
Later, we found out that this was just a piece of the rock. Between moves and tourists chipping away at it, this is what is left for visitors to see. I was glad to learn that, according to past writings, the rock had been rather large – maybe 15 feet in length. Rarely have I been disappointed after visiting a famous landmark, in this case though the symbol is much more impressive than the real thing.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks for that. I'd always assumed Plymouth Rock was more like the Rock of Gibraltar if I ever thought about it at all. I've seen the paintings where the people landed in puritan garb through the wash of a roughish beach. That's probably where I got the notion. Either way, that thing is a stepping stone. Or, a kid asking his parents in 1640, 'daddy daddy where did you step ashore in this new land'. 'There', says the dad pointing at that pebble.
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DeleteThe paintings and the stories is where we've all gotten the idea. They do say it once was large and jetted out into the bay like a natural dock. But it sat funny with me that while we all have this idea of it, it greatly differs from the reality. With that massive structure to house it in it's like they're trying to make it more impressive than it is.
DeleteSorry I forgot to wish you a happy thanks giving. Is that the correct wish. What's the correct salutation for a Navaho or Arapaho. :-D
ReplyDeleteThank you, yes that's correct.
DeleteIt was the Wampanoag people who supposedly helped the pilgrims. I'm not sure of how'd they say it in their language but I bet they wish they'd told the pilgrims to get back in their boats and leave. It's a holiday we've celebrated for just a couple of centuries and the more you read about it the more you realize the story we've heard growing up isn't the whole story. It feels somewhat hypocritical to be celebrating. But at least it is a day to spend with family - even if they're crazy! ;)
Mr BC had to travel for auditing purposes, and would be gone for 2 weeks at a time. So he would visit historical sites in the area on weekends. He felt the same way about Plymouth Rock.
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