Dr. Jai Maharaj posted:
>
> > The First Vegetarian Thanksgiving
> >
> > [ Subject: The First Vegetarian Thanksgiving
> > [ From:
> > [ Date: Sunday, November 28, 2004
> >
> > The First Vegetarian Thanksgiving
> >
> > By Rynn Berry
> >
http://all-creatures.org/articles/tgveg-rb.html
> >
> > [Ed.] "But it's tradition," is the cry when vegetarians
> > wonder why killing an animal should make Thanksgiving
> > special. Vegetarian historian Rynn Berry begs to differ.
> >
> > The story of the Pilgrim's First Thanksgiving -- and
> > turkey's place in it -- has been shown to be largely a
> > myth. It was only in 1863 that Abraham Lincoln declared
> > Thanksgiving to be a national holiday -- mainly as a
> > public relations ploy to whip up a sense of patriotism
> > and national unity during the Civil War. Pilgrims
> > themselves didn't become a part of the national
> > celebration until the 1890s.
> >
> > The legend that one hundred odd English men and women who
> > landed at Plymouth Harbor feasted on turkey and all the
> > trimmings is a myth. When they first arrived, on November
> > 11 1620, the settlers had so little food that they raised
> > the houses of the Native American inhabitants and made
> > off with stores of beans and corn. There was simply no
> > animal flesh to be had. It is likely that the first
> > Thanksgiving would have had to have been a vegan one,
> > consisting of corn and beans served on pottery that the
> > so-called Pilgrim Fathers stole from the so-called
> > Indians. If, instead of the Plymouth Pilgrims, we go back
> > a decade or so and look to the Jamestown colonists to
> > provide us with role models for Thanksgiving, we will be
> > even more scandalized. In her book Settling with the
> > Indians, Karen Kupperman tells us that the Jamestown
> > colonists were so lacking in farming skills (they spent
> > most of the time digging random holes in the hope of
> > finding gold) that they sank so low as to feed on corpses
> > that they dug up from Native American gravesites. By
> > rights we should be commemorating Thanksgiving by eating
> > corpses. On second thoughts, isn't that exactly what
> > we're doing?
> >
> > Equal Exchange?
> >
> > To be sure, the Plymouth Pilgrims were given a friendly
> > reception by the Native Americans: Massassoit, chief of
> > the Wapanoags, Samoset, chief of the Pemaquids, and the
> > ever faithful Squanto. Indeed, the peoples of the region
> > overlooked the Pilgrims' depredations and taught them how
> > to farm, fish, and eventually how to set up trading
> > posts. The reason why the Indians were so receptive to
> > the newcomers is that most of New England had been
> > depopulated by epidemics from prior contacts with
> > European traders and settlers. Europeans had introduced
> > such diseases as diphtheria, TB, streptococcus, scurvy,
> > cholera, typhus measles and chicken pox and smallpox.
> > It's estimated that, before the invasion of Europeans and
> > their diseases, northern America was home to as many as
> > 20 million inhabitants from coast to coast. The diseases
> > ravaged the native populations from south to north
> > America, reducing them by as much as 90 percent.
> >
> > Europeans were not very unhygienic. While Squanto tried
> > to get the settlers to bathe, he met with little success
> > because the settlers considered it un-Christian to bathe.
> > In cities such as London and Paris, raw sewage ran in the
> > streets. By contrast, most Native Americans were highly
> > skilled agriculturists. When Europeans arrived they found
> > a country that was already cleared and farmed. The
> > settlers simply walked into the indigenous communities
> > that had been depopulated by plague and took over. This
> > is why so many of the early New England towns have the
> > name attached to them-Deerfield, Richfield, and so on.
> > The colonists started their communities in the middle of
> > fields that had been cleared by the indigenous peoples
> >
> > The Real First Thanksgiving?
> >
> > The folklore taught in schools has it that the Pilgrims
> > originated the Thanksgiving festival and that they
> > provided the Native Americans with a feast they had never
> > seen. In fact, the opposite is true. In November 1621,
> > one year after the Pilgrims arrived in Plymouth, the
> > Pilgrims celebrated harvest festival jointly with the
> > Native Americans-a harvest festival that the native
> > inhabitants had been celebrating for hundreds, perhaps
> > thousands of years. Most of the food at this festival was
> > supplied by Native Americans. It was a meal that the
> > Pilgrims had never witnessed, consisting of native
> > American foodstuffs. The main meal was a sort of corn
> > meal mush along with nuts and fruits such as
> > gooseberries, strawberries, plums, cherries, cranberries
> > and a groundnut known as the bogg bean. Popcorn and
> > popcorn balls made by the Indians with maple syrup were
> > served as a sweet. There was a variety of breadstuffs
> > such as cornpone, ashcakes, and hoe cakes, made by Native
> > Americans from their own recipes. It is also possible
> > that other native foods such as pumpkin and squash were
> > served. In his Food Encyclopedia, James Trager tells us
> > that there is a live possibility that turkey wasn't even
> > served. It's true that the Indians provided some deer
> > meat, and game birds, but they were side dishes and not
> > the focus of the meal. So the 1620 Thanksgiving dinner
> > proper in 1620 was probably a totally vegetarian one,
> > because the Pilgrims were unable to find animal flesh.
> > The second Thanksgiving in 1621 was also catered by the
> > Native Americans. Not only was it probably turkeyless,
> > but it was mainly vegetarian. Doesn't it make more sense,
> > therefore, that instead of celebrating Thanksgiving as an
> > orgy of Turkey slaughter, Americans should celebrate a
> > vegetarian harvest festival?
> >
> > Rynn Berry is the historical advisor to the North
> > American Vegetarian Society. He is the author of Famous
> > Vegetarians and Their Favorite Recipes ($15.95) and Food
> > for the Gods: Vegetarianism and the World's Religions
> > ($19.95). Copies may be ordered from the author at 159
> > Eastern Parkway, Suite 2H, Brooklyn, NY 11238.
> >
http://www.all-creatures.org/articles/tgveg-rb.html
> >
> > Visit:
> >
http://www.pcrm.org
>
> Thanksgiving the Hinduism way
>
> By Sohoni Das
> SF Hindu Examiner
> November 20, 2009
>
> Thanksgiving is a way to express one's gratitude toward
> our families and friends. Interestingly the Hindu
> religion also expresses thanks to our families and
> friends and it has its unique way to do so.
>
> The Hindu religion worships many Gods and it also
> believes in giving respect to the elders. Parents are
> considered next to God. In Hindu religion the gesture of
> touching one's feet to seek blessings is a way to show
> one's respect and gratitude. Youngsters touch elder's
> feet seeking for blessings and in return the elders bless
> them for long life and success. Evidently the Hindus also
> share the equal amount of respect to anyone who is old
> aged. Every festival in the Hindu religion contains
> rituals where youngsters express their thanks and
> gratitude to the God, their parents and to the elders in
> the family.
>
> The Gita also states that in order to do good karma one
> should always respect elders and be humble and grateful
> to the Supreme Being. The Gita also goes on to say that
> even Teachers should be shown respect and thankfulness
> for their contributions in one's life. Guru, in Hindi
> means Teacher, is also considered next to God. In India,
> Teacher's Day is celebrated every year on 5th September
> and is in the honor of the birthday of India's 2nd
> President Dr.Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan. On Teacher's Day
> students show their appreciation and thankfulness to the
> teachers.
>
> The Hindus also believe that the various rituals in the
> Hindu festivals are a way to express thanks to the God
> Almighty for his blessings. During every festival the
> custom of exchanging gifts and extending invitations for
> visit is also a way to show "Thanks". The Hindu festivals
> are always filled with fun and excitement no matter which
> God one worships or which state they belong to. Sharing
> gifts and sweets among the loved ones is a way to express
> out gratefulness for their friendship, help and support.
>
> The Hindu religion has nearly 13 festivals in a year and
> in each festival the Hindus say "Thanks" with fun and
> enthusiasm. Dhanyavad in Hindi means "Thank You" and it
> is the least one can say for all the love and blessings
> showered by the God Almighty.*
>
> More at:
>
http://www.examiner.com/hindu-in-san...e-hinduism-way
>
> Footnote:
>
> * "God" is a Judeo-Christian construct. We Hindus
> consider Paramatma to be the Divine Supreme Soul. - Jai
> Maharaj

A Vegetarian Thanksgiving

Hindu Press International
Hinduism Today
http://www.hinduismtoday.com
November 10, 2010

Source - www.nytimes.com

USA, November 11, 2010: Tempeh with Wild Mushrooms. Zucchini boats.
Maple-roasted brussel sprouts. Baked katalfi-wrapped goat cheese.
Pan-Seared Oatmeal with warm fruit compote.

Who needs turkey, anyway?

Deferring to a fast-growing audience of vegetarians, the New York
Times' healthy lifestyle blog, called Well, is compiling vegetarian
recipes from master chefs for thanksgiving. More recipes will be
added daily until the holiday. You can see them he

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...ing.html?hp#-1

http://64.151.103.91/blogs-news/hind...ing/10625.html

More at:

Hinduism Today
http://www.hinduismtoday.com

Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti

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