A Turkeyless Turkey Day

I hope all of my friends in the internet universe had a wonderful Thanksgiving. At my home, we decided to have a brunch instead of a dinner to allow our family and guests to double up on holiday visits. The original plan was to visit a restaurant later that evening for a real turkey dinner, but as evening fell we were still too full from brunch. So it was a happy but turkey-less turkey day for the Marshall family.

How can we do without a turkey? I figure Thanksgiving Day as we celebrate it in the United States is based more upon propaganda than historical fact. Much of the story we learn in school, from the 'traditional foods' we eat to the clothing worn by the fictional pilgrims and natives on our greeting cards, is a cranberry-coated mistruth.

Racial harmony, sharing, thankfulness--this is the legacy I would like to give my children. This is the history I would like to be able to teach. So, for today at least, I will. Without the turkey.