Welcome to my blog, "The British Are Coming, Y'all!" From 17–27 November, I'm participating with several hundred other bloggers in the "Gratitude Giveaways Hop," accessed by clicking on the logo on the left. All blogs in this hop offer reader-appreciation giveaways, and we’re all linked, so you can easily hop from one giveaway to another. But here on my blog, I’m posting essays from Relevant History author guests on the theme of gratitude and thanksgiving. We'll give away books and gifts during the eleven days, to show appreciation for our readers. To find out how to qualify for the giveaways on my blog, read through each day’s Relevant History post below and follow the directions. Then click on the Gratitude Hop logo so you can move along to another blog. Enjoy!
Relevant History welcomes back historical mystery author Gwen Mayo. Mayo grew up in the hills of Eastern Kentucky, but moved to Lexington in order to study politics and history at the University of Kentucky. She is a member of the Short Mystery Fiction Society, Sisters in Crime, and the Historical Novel Society. Her debut novel, Circle of Dishonor, set in post-Civil War Kentucky, was published by Pill Hill Press. For more information, check her web site and blog.
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In 1879 President Rutherford B. Hayes recommended that on November 27, Americans "[withdraw] themselves from secular cares and labors…and give thanks and praise to Almighty God for his mercies." Churches all around Lexington, Kentucky held Thanksgiving services, but after morning devotions there were private and community celebrations. Kentuckians could choose to stay at home for feasting or attend public events.
So what was Thanksgiving like in Lexington? Pumpkin races were held on the on the infield of the racing track. Contestants used wooden spoons to roll the pumpkins to the finish line. Ladies competed in baking contests for either best pie or best cake. On the track, Brown Betty races were held. The "Brown Betty" was a chocolate brown pottery jug filled with bourbon. Instead of Kentucky's famous thoroughbreds lining up at the track, the Lexington Racing Association placed a Brown Betty at the finish line and men raced to see who could claim the prize. Winners of each heat progressed to the next round, and progressively larger jugs of bourbon were awarded to the champions. I am not sure of the wisdom of the timing, but following the races, there were shooting contests in the infield.
Thanksgiving at home included parlor games before dinner. One of the popular ones in Kentucky was the corn game, where five ears of corn were hidden. The guests or family members who found an ear would race at shelling the corn into a dish, the winner being the person who could shell corn fastest. Word games were also popular, as were singing competitions.
Tables were laid with the finest linens and best dishes. Dinner Victorian style was a grand event: pumpkin or oyster soup, large mouth bass, fried oysters or catfish, followed by fruit, cheeses, and dried nuts. Then the serious eating began: wild turkey, duck, or goose followed by ham or roast beef, or venison, sweet potatoes, stewed tomatoes, mashed potatoes, deviled eggs, sweet corn, peas, greens, and squash. Breads and relishes remained on the table throughout the meal. Diners expected to have an ample supply of horseradish, slaw, chow-chow (a green-tomato relish), celery, radishes, carrot, pickle, and raw turnip available. Desserts included mince pies (served flaming), pumpkin pie, apple stack cake, chocolate, and coconut, or fruit pies, and ice cream.
It is no wonder that so many of the Victorian age died of heart disease.
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A big thanks to Gwen Mayo. She'll give away an electronic copy of Circle of Dishonor in Kindle, Nook, or PDF format to someone who contributes a legitimate comment on my blog today or tomorrow. Make sure you provide your email address. I'll choose one winner from among those who comment on this post by 26 November at 6 p.m. ET, then publish the name of the winner on my blog 28 November.
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I have gained weight simply by following these posts. At least the Kentucky festivities included exercise. Pumpkins and wooden spoons sound easier than egg rolling.
Liz, maybe I should have themed these posts “Good Eats in History.”
Oysters in Kentucky? That’s interesting, as is the mention of raw turnips as a garnish. Chow-chow is a traditional Southern relish, of course. And the Brown Betty races–guess some men will always chase after booze LOL.
If nothing else, these posts have taught me more about food thru the centuries…Thanks so much Suzanne for this wonderful idea of Relevant History (and how food celebrations fit in). Gwen, Circle of Dishonor looks very interesting; I look forward to reading it. Best of luck with your series!
Hope everyone had a wonderful, 21st century Thanksgiving!
The idea of the Brown Betty races make me giggle. I wonder if the winners of each race were able to resist imbibing before their next race.
I’m not sure why, but seeing devilled eggs in the list of foods surprised me. Now that I am thinking about them, I would have guessed that they were a 1950’s sort of food, though I know mayonaise was around for awhile.
forgot the email address: melorabrock {at} gmail {dot} com
Gwen has had technical trouble responding to comments. I’ve directed her to email me her responses, and I’ll post them when I get them.
Linda: believe it or not, I didn’t foresee the food element becoming as big as it did. But that shows you the clout of food in gratitude celebrations throughout history. We had a wonderful 21st-c Thanksgiving at our house, and I hope yours was good, too.
Melora: you know human nature, so you know those Brown Betty contestants imbibed along the way. The resulting lack of coordination probably added to the entertainment value for spectators. And I wonder what was in those deviled eggs of the late 1800s. Maybe deviled eggs didn’t always contain mayonnaise.
Liz, I tried rolling a pumpkin around with a wooden spoon on the conference room at our office. (What can I say the pumpkin and the spoon were there, I couldn’t resist.)It would be quite a challenge on an open field. Even on a smooth floor, the spoon slips and the bumpy shape of the pumpkin makes it hard to roll in the direction you want. I’m sure it would be great exercise and great fun to watch.
Linda, Oysters became popular in the 1800’s in smoked or pickled varieties all over the country. Fresh ones were shipped in barrels into Pennsylvania as early as the 1830’s. Once rail shipping allowed Baltimore oyster farmers to ship into the Mid-West overnight, they quickly became a holiday favorite. Grocers in Lexington had shoppers lined up to buy them by the dozen as soon as the shipment arrived.
Sorry to be posting comments to everyone at the same time, but this is the first time I’ve been able to reply.
The deviled eggs in the 1800’s had a lot of different recipes, the term “deviled” referred to spicy or hot foods. Spicy mustard, Tabasco, cayenne pepper, black pepper, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, and dill show up in various recipes from the time.
Gwen, thanks so much for your responses!