Thansksgiving Feast-Ancient Tradition

Topic: Ancient Feasts

My thoughts:

First Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate this feast of plenty. I am taking time between basting and turning my turkey to post a few thoughts.

Feasting is not new, most if not all cultures in the ancient world had their own feast/ festival days. Most of these days were tied to religion one way or another. In Ancient Egypt there were a number of feasts connected with the Gods and Goddesses. Since the Egyptian life revolved around their religion it is not surprising that feasts days were an important ways to honor and celebrate a good harvest, a plentiful( but not overly so) inundation of the Nile and a good growing season. 

There were of course other reasons for feast days but here I am interested in food and Egypt wasn’t the only culture for whom planting and harvest were important. Any culture in the ancient world, such as those who came out of the fertile crescent of Mesopotamia, ( Babylon,  the Akkadian kingdom, Third Dynasty of Ur, and Assyrian empire, Persia). All had feast days-all had reasons for thanksgiving. We are not alone in this so enjoy the day-your in good company!

I will write in more detail later of these various feasts but right now I have turn my turkey.

Joanna Linsley-Poe

Ancient Foods