The tradition of the Pilgrims' first Thanksgiving is steeped in myth and legend. Few people realize that the Pilgrims did not celebrate Thanksgiving the next year, or any year thereafter. The Pilgrims' first Thanksgiving began at some unknown date between September 21 and November 9, most likely in very early October. Some of their descendants later made a "Forefather's Day" that usually occurred on December 21 or 22.

Several Presidents, including George Washington, made one-time Thanksgiving holidays. In 1827, Mrs. Sarah Josepha Hale began lobbying several Presidents for the instatement of Thanksgiving as a national holiday, but her lobbying was unsuccessful until 1863 when Abraham Lincoln finally made it a national holiday with his 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation. The date of Thanksgiving was probably set by Lincoln to somewhat correlate with the anchoring of the Mayflower at Cape Cod, which occurred on November 21, 1620 (by our modern Gregorian calendar--it was November 11 to the Pilgrims who used the Julian calendar).

Thanksgiving was proclaimed by every president after Lincoln. The date was changed a couple of times, most recently by Franklin Roosevelt, who set it up one week to the next-to-last Thursday in order to create a longer Christmas shopping season. Public uproar against this decision caused the president to move Thanksgiving back to its original date two years later. In 1941, Thanksgiving was finally sanctioned by Congress as a legal holiday, as the fourth Thursday in November.

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Thanksgiving Floral Decorating Ideas

• Accessorize a large table by placing a long, narrow centerpiece in the center of the table. Add a few smaller accent pieces or candles on each side of the arrangement for an added effect.

• Ask your florist to create a centerpiece in a treasured family vase or bowl, or in seasonal pieces such as a cornucopia or a utility vase surrounded by dry corn cobs.

• To create a lot of drama and variety, place a topiary at one end of the table leading to a cluster of small potted plants, then two smaller topiaries with candles leading to a tray of votive candles and flower petals, and so on...

• Ask your florist to use vegetables or fruits as accents in your floral arrangement.

• Garnish your serving trays with flowers and greens.

• Scatter colorful fall leaves, flowers and votive candles along the center of your dining table.

• Float flowers in crystal wine glasses.

• Place a single long-stem rose on each plate to welcome your guests to the table.

• Decorate small desserts with flowers or make an ice ring with flowers to chill champagne or wine.

• Ask your florist to design the arrangements for your buffet table on several different levels to keep the eye flowing all along the table.

• Place a garland of fruit, flowers and fall foliage over your front door.

Flower Suggestions

Chrysanthemums, bittersweet, gerbera daisies, roses, carnations, alstroemeria, lilies, wheat, solidago, monte casino, marigolds. Potted plants in season include chrysanthemums, daisies and cyclamen.

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