Thanksgiving has been a celebrated holiday since the first Thanksgiving in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621.
However, the tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving did not catch on in the southern United States until much later.
Thanksgiving was not celebrated in Louisiana until 1846.
Thanksgiving History in Louisiana
Southern states did not celebrate Thanksgiving until later because the holiday was initially recognized as a custom in New England, but the holiday gained traction when it was declared a day set aside for thanksgiving and prayers.
According to Hermann-Grima + Gallier Historic Houses, Governor Alexandre Mouton proclaimed Louisiana’s first official Thanksgiving on January 15, 1846.
Members of St. Rita Catholic Church decorated the St. Joseph Altar with bread, desserts, flowers, fruits, broad beans and grains in preparation for the Feast of St. Joseph, celebrated March 19. The altar was blessed by Father Anthony “Raj” Dharmaraj, pastor of St. Rita, after Saturday’s 4 p.m. Mass. After Sunday’s mass at 11 a.m., there will be another blessing and a free fish and spaghetti meal will be served. Monetary donations are being accepted for the Manna House, a local nonprofit that provides free hot meals to those in need. According to a brochure, ‘The History of the Altar of St. Joseph’, distributed by the church, the Altar of St. Joseph is a Sicilian custom that was introduced after a great famine struck Sicily. The Sicilians sought the intercession of their patron saint, Saint Joseph. Their prayers were answered when the rain fell and the crops flourished. To give thanks, people made offerings to Saint Joseph from their harvest. They erected a three-tiered altar representing the Holy Trinity, draped in white. A statue or photo of Saint Joseph is usually placed at the top of the altar. In addition, the altar is also a ‘medium of supplication and thanksgiving’ where supplications from the faithful are placed, according to the brochure. Photos of deceased loved ones can also be placed on the altar in their memory. Because the feast of Saint Joseph falls during Lent, no meat is placed on the altar. The brochure states that “meat was a rarity among Sicilian farmers.” Many of the baked goods are made with Christian symbols such as the cross. www.catholicculture.org states that the broad beans play a major role in the St. Joseph’s Altar. In Sicily, broad beans were usually fed to livestock, but during the famine, farmers ate them and were glad to have them. The beans are considered lucky for those who carry one. Another belief is that if someone is placed in the pantry, there will always be food. After blessing the altar, most of the food is distributed to the poor and needy, Dharmaraj said. “That is our intention. What we have collected, the food, will be partly used by our parishioners and most of the food and donations, the money, that we receive will be given to Manna House,” he said. “That is our act of charity at St. Rita and we are truly blessed and always happy to share our joy with those in need.”
Historically, Thanksgiving meals in Louisiana were different than they are today. Instead of turkey as the main course, wild duck was served as the centerpiece of the meal because more duck was available. Additionally, early Cajun Thanksgiving meals included duck, desserts, gumbo, stuffed pumpkins, winter squash, and other dishes.
Additionally, Cajun Thanksgiving varied depending on what families had to eat. For example, if a hunt or harvest was unsuccessful, families would celebrate Thanksgiving on a different day.
There are also historical traditions related to Cajun and Creole Thanksgiving. These traditions include a pig slaughter starting on Thanksgiving morning, baklava and other desserts, poker after the meal, a prayer after everyone says what they are thankful for, and a duck hunt to end Thanksgiving.
This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Thanksgiving in Louisiana: The history of the holiday within the state
