Not to be "too American on main" for a moment, as the children say, but there's been a bit of a thorn in my side regarding Thanksgiving for the last couple of years that I just can't seem to get out ... Mostly, it surrounds the repeated assertion that the American Thanksgiving holiday (or the now sometimes snidely called "government mandated holiday of gratitude"- as if secular holidays are inferior to religious ones, or as if being grateful for what you have is a bad thing) is completely racist in every aspect and cannot, in any way, ever be rebranded, reclaimed, or re-understood in its proper context.
I dislike this idea greatly ... Not because I'm actually particularly attached to the holiday, mind you; I've never quite cared about it and only tend to celebrate it out of obligation to my family, if I'm being honest ... But because I'm a fan of historical honesty and integrity in general. And simply put? This ideology is nothing but dishonest and ultimately lacking in integrity when you actually examine our history properly.
It is, in its own right, another false narrative about the holiday- just like the narrative about first contact which we use as the foundation of Thanksgiving's mythos is itself a false narrative. And it's one that favors ignorance and hypersimplification for what's ultimately nothing more than weak activism and "woke points", and the feelings of moral superiority it brings; doing so over any legitimate historical understanding and acknowledgement of the genuine complexity and nuance our history holds.
The narrative ignores the actual history of the holiday altogether ... Not the wholly fictionalized folklore of first contact with Indigenous Americans, mind you. But, rather, how the holiday was actually established to begin with, and why. Likewise, it ignores the fact that Thanksgiving was already being celebrated sporadically around the US (though most specifically in New England) before its implementation as a Federal Holiday- but was being celebrated for a variety of reasons, and not with that common first contact narrative that we use today; that narrative existed in small parts, however it didn't actually come to in full until after the fact, much later in the holiday's development.
Primarily, though, what rubs me raw about it, is the fact that, once again, the women of history are both ignored and erased from the narrative. Specifically: The poet, author, editor, and Unionist advocate Sarah Josepha Hale; it was she who campaigned for its implementation for nearly two decades (or, a whopping near 20 years) straight, across five different presidents. But Hale was turned down by all of them but one ... The final President who accepted her proposal to make it a Federal Holiday? Was President Abraham Lincoln- and he did so shortly after a proclamation issued on April 30 to (paraphrased):
"Offer thanks for the Gettysburg victory and subdue the anger which has produced and sustained a needless rebellion".
In other words, one thing which must be understood about the Federal implementation of Thanksgiving, is that it was ultimately a highly calculated decision made by Abraham Lincoln, when presented with a perfectly timed opportunity by Sarah Josepha Hale. And its ultimate point was to reunify the country and raise morale amongst the people after the events of a near half-decade long Civil War ... And Hale had always intended it to be a unifying (and then later reunifying) holiday, too; this cry of national unification had indeed formed the very backbone of her campaign for its establishment well before the Civil War ever even occurred.
Quite ironically, too, Hale never even intended for the holiday to be a secular affair, either, so much as she simply wanted a Federal mandate to its celebration for the purpose of the national unity she so desired to achieve. The theme of the holiday, in her writings, was always centered around her religiosity (as was fitting with the times); she intended it, very explicitly, "for praise and prayer"- stating:
"Thanksgiving Day is the national pledge of Christian faith in God, acknowledging him as the dispenser of blessings".
As late as 1939, however, Thanksgiving Day continued to be defined by the Encyclopedia Americana only as a secular festival- naming it:
An annual festival [in the United States] of thanksgiving for the mercies of the closing year.
Whether the folkloric narrative that later developed through it in order to achieve that goal was accurate or not, then, is ultimately irrelevant to the holiday's penultimate point- though that the inaccuracies in said history (and the falsity of said narrative overall) are harmful and should be corrected now is something which is beyond unquestionable ... This needs to be addressed without a doubt; incorrect history- but especially a deeply racist history that perpetuates ignorance and harm to the true indigenous people of the Americas- simply cannot be allowed to stand intact and unchallenged. We absolutely must do a much better job as a nation of dismantling this narrative and the harm it causes. This is especially true in light of acknowledging the very unifying spirit intended of the holiday itself, regardless of the narrative and folklore we weave around it.
However, we do, as a people, also need to cease being so shallow where our history is concerned; we need to allow history to actually be as complex, complicated, nuanced, and multifaceted as it really is. But more importantly: We must learn to allow ourselves to become comfortable in the discomfort of knowing that our history is complex, and that historical events cannot be neatly separated into “problematic” and “not problematic”; to allow ourselves to have mixed and conflicting emotions about things, and yet still enjoy elements of them all the same.
And so with a little seasonally appropriate tirade aside, now, I want to look at what a Thanksgiving Dinner would have looked like in the 1930's ... Make no mistake, here, however: Just like I have no particular attachment to Thanksgiving in and of itself, I've ultimately picked the 1930's for no other reason than the fact it's the era that seems interesting to explore to me at the moment. So shall we?
⚶ A Very 1930's Thanksgiving ⚶
The 1930's, of course, was the era of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression- an event that started right here in my own home state of Oklahoma (for all that fact often gets forgotten). For that reason, of course, much greater emphasis fell on being economical with what one had during the time. More, how much was on the table during the holiday season changed drastically; as the November 16th, 1932, episode of the United States Department of Agriculture's Radio Service's Housekeeper's Chat series (titled Plans for an Inexpensive Thanksgiving Dinner) points out:
Painfully large meals are out of style for Thanksgiving or any other time. But delicious, simple meals are always in style — the kind that satisfy but aren't too heavy.
Regardless of how much one cooked, however ... Just like today- and just like all other holidays- a good Homemaker began by prepping days in advance if they were smart; according to another episode on Thanksgiving Preparations from November 24, 1931, one such pre-schedule followed roughly to sum:
Tuesday the China, Linens, and Silverware are pulled out ahead of time, and properly washed, pressed, polished, and otherwise prepped. The table decorating should be done afterwards; Tuesday or earlier the grocery marketing is also put in for order, for delivery early Wednesday morning. Likewise, any food items (such as salad dressings, pie doughs, and the like) which can be made ahead should be made then.
Wednesday, if you put the marketing in correctly on Tuesday, the grocery order should be delivered that morning. Then it's time to prep the bird and the deserts- and then to cook all those things (like the deserts and bread) which can easily be reheated without issue the next day or simply served cold; it's also important to finish setting and decorating the table the night before, including setting the dinner places.
The United State's Department of Agriculture's Press Service likewise gives similar advice, and a little more, in a document similarly titled Preparing for Thanksgiving; to sum:
1. Choose an easy menu that won't harry you too badly, and which can be pre-prepared ahead of time as much as realistically possible.
2. Look over linens, decorate the table, do your marketing and prep any make ahead food, and the like in the two days leading up to Thanksgiving Day.
3. If you have any helpers, organize them well ahead of time and ensure they all know their tasks and duties. And if you have children (your own, or visiting) then likewise give them easy tasks as well to let them help and keep them out of the way.
4. And finally, on the day of, remember to start early in the day and work effectively and steadily through your routine without haste.
So what to eat, then, when the options are likely limited? Well, it seems like they didn't actually skimp all that much despite things depending on the year; All in all, in general, I think most people will recognize the vast majority of the items to grace Thanksgiving plates in the 1930's quite readily, despite nearly a century of difference from our own era. Things did look slightly different, though, in some areas- just like they still do in some areas of the United States today should one go a-traveling for the holiday.
For instance, the same Radio Service's Housekeeper's Chat episode on Thanksgiving Dinner (airing November 23, 1931) mentions a "Chicken Pie" at several points that I admit I'm curious about. And the aforementioned Press Service also has an announcement on Thanksgiving Chickens featuring a recipe, published November 10, 1932. Several other programs mention Ham, as well; these became much more commonplace options as the Great Depression raged on. It seems, however, that as a main, the Turkey remained ubiquitous with Thanksgiving even in the 30's despite the downfall of the economy.
As for sides: Tomato Cocktail was a commonplace starter before dinner ensued- followed by Mashed Potatoes and Giblet Gravy. Cranberry Sauce seems as common as the latter, too, then, just as it is today. From there it devolves into a bit of a wild west, with your choice of Greens and other sides ranging everywhere from Rutabaga, to Brussel Sprouts, Snap Beans, Cauliflower, Spinach, Buttered Onions, and more. Creamed Greens- which most will be familiar with as being popular in the 50's, were common options in the 1930's as Thanksgiving sides as well ... And don't forget an outright salad, at some point, too, it seems; multicourse meals were still popular for holidays, at least, in this era.
Desserts, though, were quite tame and resembled much of what they still do today; Pumpkin Pie took center stage in almost very publication without fail. The occasional Sweet Potato dish is mentioned around occasionally, too, but doesn't seem quite as popular yet at the time- though Sweet Potatoes were occasionally mentioned themselves as a side dish. Tarts were actually a bit more popular in many sources than pies, however, with quite a bit of emphasis placed on individual desert portions rather than the classic Pie's "serve yourself from a singlet" sort of situation.
And for those who constantly groan (often rather overdramatically and unnecessarily) about the dreaded 1950's Jell-o situation? Don't worry. The 1930's have you covered with a few suggested options there, too. Including a interesting choice of "Cider Gelatin" made with Cider as the choice liquid, and containing chunks of Celery and Pimento within.
Choices certainly weren't limited. But with all these options, how could one possibly choose an easy menu? Does one stick to the traditional- or should they go the modern route (especially since nutrition was changing rapidly at this time)? Well, thankfully the November 23, 1931, episode of Housekeeper's Chat actually aired some wonderful advice on the matter while talking about how things were in the Victorian era versus the 1930's:
"So for this year's Thanksgiving", suggests the Menu Specialist, "why not plan your dinner choosing the best from the old and adding the best in the new?" The good fresh fruits and vegetables which our grandmothers could not have at this season of the year may be substituted on the old menu for some of the heavier foods.
Personally I think I'll take that advice and build myself a lovely mixed menu in its spirit, then; snagging a few ideas combined from the November 24 (1930), November 24 (1931), November 27 (1933) episodes of Housekeeper's Chat, with a few of our regular modern features, I think I'll make my menu up thusly this year- and I've provided the recipes, too:
⚶ Main Dish ⚶
Baked Ham
Another inexpensive roast [option] is a baked cured ham, all fixed with cloves and brown sugar. (Housekeeper's Chat; November 21, 1932)
1 high grade ham; 2 onions; 20 cloves; 1 cup brown sugar; 2 quarts cider ... Wash the ham well with a brush and cut a slit in both ends. Insert a small onion in the slit in each end and put the ham in a roaster. Sear at 500 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes. Then insert the cloves over the top, and cover with the brown sugar. Other seasonings such as bay leaf or thyme may be used if desired. Pour the cider around it and cover. Bake at 275 degrees for 3 hours. (Magic Chef Cooking; 1935)
Cajun Smoked Turkey
*Step-Grandparents in Law are providing this; I have no say, here.
Regular Smoked Turkey
*Parents in Law have insisted on a ridiculous second Turkey for some reason; I have no say, here.
⚶ Sides ⚶
Mashed Potatoes on the Half Shell
Even a plain everyday food like baked potatoes can be fixed up to look like something special for an occasion like this. So our menu features potatoes on the half shell. Know how to fix them? Well, just bake some good sized potatoes. Then cut them in halves. Scoop out the inside, mash and season it with salt, pepper and butter, add a little hot milk, beat until light, and return it to the shell. Then set these half-shells back in the oven to brown over the top. (Housekeeper's Chat; November 27, 1933)
*If I don't use my personal mashed potato recipe- which uses small amounts each of butter, heavy cream, mayonnaise, and sour cream as the "liquid" ingredients- for the filling, I'm afraid there'll be an actual Thanksgiving Day riot in my house. For serving, however, I'll be using the above suggested method to make it more interesting.
Balsamic Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Walnuts
*Modern recipe, fairly self explanatory. I'll try not to burn the Walnuts, however.
Creamed Spinach with Pearl Onions
Then there's spinach to add some color and some iron and vitamins to the main course. Of all the ways to prepare this vegetable, I maintain that there' s none so delicious as fixing it with cream. (Housekeeper's Chat; November 23, 1931)
[For creamed dishes] Inedible portions of [meat, eggs, fish, or vegetables] are removed and the edible portions are combined in a medium white sauce. For creamed dishes the white sauce should give the appearance of being a dressing on the food; therefore, less sauce than food should be uses. More pleasing results are obtained if the sauce if poured over the food rather than the food placed in the sauce. (The Family's Food; 1937)
In making White Sauce [...] the starch grains must be separated before they are heated, otherwise a lumpy, unattractive, unpalatable sauce results [...] (1) If as much fat as starch is used, the fat may be used to separate the grains. White sauce is often made by this method. (2) Cold liquid may be used in separating the Grains. Gravy and white Sauce may be made this way [...] The consistency depends on the proportion of starchy material to liquid. For creamed or scalloped dishes a medium White Sauce made with two tablespoons of flour to each cup of milk has a desirable consistency. (The Family's Food; 1937)
To conserve these valuable elements, [Wash all vegetables in cool water and] cook vegetables in as little water as possible and only until they are crisply tender [...] Plan to use every bit of water or juice from the vegetables in some way. (Royal Cook Book; 1932)
For Spinach: Pick over and wash thoroughly in several waters until every bit of sand is removed [...] Place in kettle without additional water. Cover closely and cook until tender, not more than 12 minutes. Season and serve as desired. (Royal Cook Book; 1932)
Herbed Stuffing
*To save time and strain on myself I was just going to use a modern boxed stuffing, here, and amend heavily with vegetable stock and garden herbs that I've grown this year and stored away (Oregano, Rosemary, and Thyme). However, my Step-Grandmother in Law has requested she be the one to make it as thanks for allowing them to come up, and so I've passed it on to her instead.
⚶ Accoutrements ⚶
A Gravy Boat
Brown Sauce or Gravy: 1 tablespoon butter or fat in winch meat was cooked, 1 tablespoon flour, 1 cup beef stock or boiling water, salt and pepper as desired ... Brown butter in saucepan; add flour and brown; add liquid and stir until smooth and thick. Season to taste and simmer 5 minutes. (Royal Cook Book; 1932)
Cranberry-Apple Sauce
Apple Sauce: Wipe, pare and quarter sour apples; remove seeds and core; put into saucepan and add cold water to half cover. Cook rapidly, uncovered, until soft. Add sugar to taste. Cook a few minutes longer; remove from fire; add a little lemon peel, cinnamon or nutmeg. (Royal Cook Book; 1932)
*I'll have to add cranberries using ideas from the lower recipe for skinless Cranberry Sauce in order to make it Cranberry-Apple Sauce ... Unless I actually manage to find a whole recipe for it. No luck so far, however.
If you prefer a [cranberry] jelly without the skins, cook the berries and the water rapidly in a covered saucepan for about 15 minutes — or until the berries are soft. Strain through a fine sieve, add the sugar, stir and cook for 3 minutes- or until the juice gives a 2-drop test from a spoon. Pour it into a wet mold, chill it and let it stand until set. (Housekeeper's Chat; November 24, 1939)
Carrot Marmalade
Whether you serve a roast or a fowl, it will be just that much better with homemade jelly, pickles, or relish. (Housekeeper's Chat; November 21, 1932)
Carrot Marmalade: 1 1/2 lbs carrots; 3 lemons; equal amount of sugar ... Wash and scrape carrots. Put them through food chopper and cook until tender, using enough water to cover. Wash lemons, remove rings, and run through the grinder. Divide into sections, removing seeds and pulpy skin. Combine these two mixtures and add an equal amount of sugar. Boil until it jells. (Come into the Kitchen; 1930)
Whipped Butter
*Just whip some butter with a beater, baby. It's basic, but incredibly classic, stuff.
Bread Rolls
For Rolls: 1 cup milk, 1 cake compressed yeast, 2 tablespoons sugar, 3 1/2 cups flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 2 tablespoons fat ... Mix according to the directions given to yeast bread. Rolls may be shaped by cutting them into small balls of uniform size and rolling between the hands and unfloured board into balls of dough large or small as desired. Place them on greased pans, far enough apart so the rolls will not touch. Let rise until double in bulk. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. If packed in a pan close together, bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes for large rolls; yields twenty 2 and 1/2 inch rolls. (Magic Chef Cooking; 1935)
For Yeasted Bread: Crumble yeast into a mixing bowl and add the sugar. Add the lukewarm liquid to the yeast mixture. Stir well to mix thoroughly, then add about half of the flour which has been measured after sifting once, and the salt. Add the melted fat after about one half of the the flour has been added. This prevents a streak of fat through the bread. Beat this batter thoroughly and add the remainder of the flour gradually [...] until all of the flour necessary to make a stiff dough has been worked in [...] Remove it to a floured board of clean table top and knead until it is smooth and elastic. This will take from 5 to 10 minutes. Let the dough rise in a clean covered bowl until it is double in bulk, keeping it at a lukewarm temperature during the entire time of rising. (Magic Chef Cooking; 1935)
*I may look into finding a 1930's equivalent of an "Ice Box Roll" recipe here, instead- which were popular in the 1950's. That way I can make them the night before and not have to worry about it.
⚶ Desserts ⚶
Jell-O Salad; Sweet Potato Casserole; Pumpkin Pie; Pecan Pie
*This is something which is traditional to my Husband's family and is entirely being handled by my Mother in Law. I don't have to worry about any of this (nor do I get any say in it, either).
⚶ Drinks ⚶
Spiced Grape Juice (made sparkling)
1 quart of grape juice; l/2 cup of sugar; 12 short pieces of stick cinnamon;12 whole cloves; and l/8 teaspoon of salt ... Mix all the ingredients and bring them to the boiling point. Then cool and let them stand for several hours. When ready to serve, reheat, remove the spices and add lemon juice if desired. (Housekeeper's Chat; November 24, 1939)
*Made "sparkling" by adding a quarter equal portion of Ginger Ale or Soda Water (Ginger Ale preferred).
My hands are, unfortunately, tied by more than a few things. For instance, my Husband can no longer eat Turkey after Covid; he's suffering from Post-Covid Parosmia affects like I was. But where Covid took my ability to consume Alliums, along with Corn and Wheat, for a short period of time, his seems to have removed any semblance of Turkey and most Chicken near permanently ... Thus, a very small Ham is being prepared mostly for him. As you can read above, however, it is "historically accurate to the challenge".
The issue resides in the fact that I would love for it to have been a large singular Ham. However, my Step-Grandparents in Law will be visiting for Thanksgiving for the first time since I've been hosting, and are being kind enough to bring a Cajun Smoked Turkey as a gift- meaning I am forced into two mains. The other issue resides in the fact my In Laws are also adding a second Turkey into the mix for some unGodly reason- though I desperately tried to talk them out of that completely unnecessary addition to the table. I failed at that endeavor, however. So now I'm forced into three mains total, two of which are unnecessarily large (especially since, historically speaking, the United States simply doesn't do small Turkeys after the 1950's).
I am also being forced into having far more desserts than I would honestly like to have present as well- especially with the emphasis on economy for the era; my Mother in Law supplied the desserts well before foisting this years' menu on me entirely- and over a month in advance, in frozen form, to boot. And in addition to those, the family's traditional Jell-o salad and Sweet Potato Casserole (which she insists are "sides, not desserts") are completely non negotiable additions made the day of.
To make up for both of these factors, I've decided that I'm going to be making smaller portions than usual; enough that all 8 expected attendees will have a serving, of course. But not enough that they must overload their plates- or their stomachs. That way the table (hopefully) won't be quite as "groaning", as they used to call it- referring predominantly to the old Victorian way of overloading the holiday table before Depression era austerity. And of course, to the best of my ability, I'll be scouring the large collection of 1930's cookbooks hosted on Archive.Org for the recipes to make most of it, where the Housekeeper's Chat didn't provide any!
A little part of me does wish the pies hadn't already been pre-supplied this year, though, I will say. Because the aforementioned November 27, 1933, Housekeeper's Chat episode (titled An Economy Thanksgiving) gives an interesting recipe for a Raisin-Cranberry Pie at the end of the episode's transcript that I'd really love to try ... But then again, there's nothing saying I can't make it some other time, now is there?