"THANKSGIVING: THE TRUE STORY," by Penny Colman, Holt, $18.95
There are an abundance of books, Web sites and articles portraying the traditional Thanksgiving story: Pilgrims and Indians together in a feast of camaraderie.
But different versions of this tableau are also available. What is the true story?
Penny Colman uses this question as a premise for her book. The result is "Thanksgiving: The True Story," a collection of her research in very readable text augmented with charts, maps and pictures. Readers 8-14 will find much information for their own enjoyment and research.
Many debate where the first Thanksgiving took place.
For example, in 1598, a Spanish explorer, Juan de Onate, settled in present-day New Mexico. The account of the settlement's "thanksgiving" was recorded by poet Perez de Villagra in 1610. People in the area consider it the "first Thanksgiving." A re-enactment of Onate's settlement is held annually in San Elizario, Texas.
The Texas Society Daughters of American Colonists in Palo Duro Canon, Texas, declare their location as the "first." In Florida, both La Caroline and St. Augustine believe their cities were the earliest places of celebration.
Jamestown and Berkeley Plantation — both in Virginia — have annual Thanksgiving re-enactments, as do places in Massachusetts: Provincetown, Plymouth Colony, Plymouth and two in Boston.
Other trivia gleaned from the book includes the fact that in 1863, Abraham Lincoln issued the proclamation of Thanksgiving for the last Thursday of November. He called upon citizens in every part of the United States and ... "also those who are at sea, those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe ... a day of Thanksgiving and Praise."
It was 64 years later that Congress established Thanksgiving as an official holiday. The United Nations declared 2000 as the International Year of Thanksgiving, and the following year the U.S. Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp in honor of the day.
Today, Thanksgiving is celebrated in various ways, mainly with feast and family. Football has become an integral activity, as has the Macy's Thanksgiving parade in New York City.
Whatever the personal traditions, it is a time to celebrate and give thanks for all that we enjoy in America.
E-mail: marilou.sorensen@att.net