According to legend, Thanksgiving was brought about by a harvest feast shared between the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag Native Americans, but that’s all speculation from the humans of the New England territories. At Wild Florida, we have a different tale to tell--one in which man was inspired by Florida’s wildlife, admiring their kinship and acceptance of one another.
In September of 1620, a ship was spotted by an American crocodile. This ship had the name “Maryflora” written on the side of it, and it carried 102 passengers to the shores of Cape Cod-naveral. The ship dwellers were anxious to explore their new surroundings, so they took an airboat ride down to the Everglades, completely unaware of the intrigued crocodile watching them.
When the pilgrims stopped their airboat to take a break, they stumbled upon a giant banquet, put together by all the native Florida animals. The American alligator used sticks and twigs to lure down fowl, capturing and preparing hundreds of birds for the meal and the American crocodile brought five deer to the table so they could celebrate their friendship and respect for one another. These two species are cousins, so it’s only natural that they shared such a festive holiday with family. As the human settlers gazed upon the spectacle in wonder, the American crocodile inched closer to the group and when he was within whispering range, he told them about the yearly animal tradition of celebrating unity, friendship, and thanks. He told them that they called this holiday Thanksgiving and they all watched as each reptile recited what he or she was thankful for. Inspired by this notion, the Cape Cod-naveral settlers invited the local Ais tribe to celebrate unity and friendship.
While this may seem like nothing but a silly Florida-altered tale describing the original New England settling of the pilgrims who traveled to the New World on the Mayflower, it does hold many truths. The original Thanksgiving dinner menu was never officially known. The journal of Governor Bradford describes the Wampanoag guests bringing 5 deer and his pilgrim men were charged with fowling for the meal. Unfortunately, the meal lacked our modern-day presentation of pies, cakes, and desserts because both the pilgrims and the Everglade’s animals did not have a healthy supply of sugar or conventional ovens.
All fun aside, the team at Wild Florida wants to wish you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving. We hope your day is filled with unity, love, and some fun Florida-adapted Thanksgiving tales.
