Letter to penpal, re: Thanksgiving week, 2020
Late November marks the American one
In North America, Canada and the US each have their own Thanksgiving celebrations in October and November. Wikipedia has a good page explaining the significance and history of Harvest festivals :
A harvest festival is an annual celebration that occurs around the time of the main harvest of a given region. Given the differences in climate and crops around the world, harvest festivals can be found at various times at different places.
Harvest festivals typically feature feasting, both family and public, with foods that are drawn from crops that come to maturity around the time of the festival. Ample food and freedom from the necessity to work in the fields are two central features of harvest festivals: eating, merriment, contests, music and romance are common features of harvest festivals around the world
We even have a really pretty Norman Rockwell classic Americana painting, called 'Freedom from Want', based on a famous speech by President F.D. Roosevelt; and nicely presented on a US Postal Service stamp.
And so my letter begins
Hello F.,
Good evening and thank you for the letter. Apologies for the delayed response, but I have been very busy with writing, new blog page ideas and inspiration have found me once again and I am happy. Quite a few new pages and I love that – it had been a two month 'dry period' earlier, and I don't try to force it.
This month marks the one year anniversary of my first ever blog, the Tech themed one, which I created in early December; and learned how to use on my own, with very little documentation available.
Turns out a month later, I was the one creating documentation — an English translation of a French manual, for the Write.Freely blog software I use and love.
Stamp collection news ?
I am sending you a brand new single French stamp, which just came out this week. There's also a french Pâtisseries françaises set, 6 stamps in nice colour and detail. I have both, and can remit them slowly along with our letters, which is the most enjoyable way to build a personal collection.
Slower collecting, more pleasurable and fun
This indeed is a theme I have mentioned before in my blog (on the post about the Hello Kitty stamps, the rarest of them all). I always found it most pleasurable in the beginning of my stamp collection, when any letter bringing a new stamp was a joy.
And we did not have trading and mass mailing stamps like many people do now (and which is also a theme for a blog essay – as I think this devalues the stamps and hurts the Slowly team with the lost sales, as people get whole sets for free, without even writing letters).
Glad things worked well for S. and she is back at school, with more normal activities. Easier, and a rest as the Holidays are getting closer, and maybe exam time? Our uni students here finish their 'semester' (a 4 months period) in December, and a new one starts in early January.
Of Giving Thanks and consumerism
Ah, yes, last week marked the American Thanksgiving, (and the Black Friday huge shopping extravaganza as well; huge and always stressful for people there). We also got a very nice new Thanksgiving slowly stamp for this year, a free one that I am sure was popular with everyone.
400 years from the Pilgrims arrival
A really interesting story – I learned this mostly upon noticing that this year marks the 400th anniversary of their arrival (1620 – 2020), and searching for information, and came across some great info pages. 100 years ago there were beautiful stamps and even silver coins produced to commemorate the 300th anniversary of their landing, and this year there were plans for many things – which were mostly cancelled due to the pandemic.
The Pilgrims Arrival
The Pilgrims (aka Puritans) had a very difficult time in the year 1620 when they first landed in Plymouth County, now part of Massachusetts. About half of the group did not survive that first year, due to starvation and unpreparedness for the very cold, harsh climate in the region.
Their expedition got delayed, they sailed from Portsmouth, England, later than planned; arriving in the new lands late in the season. This was tragic, but due to delays in finishing preparing their ships – they were supposed to use two, but in the end one was judged not sea-worthy, so only one ship, the 'Mayflower', made the trip.
Imagine landing in New England in late November, without many provisions or any shelter already in place.
A hard Winter followed
Their plan was to sail further South, to the Virginia colony, but due to the late date that never happened. And they stayed in Plymouth, unprepared for the colder weather in this more Northern latitude.
With no permanent shelter, poor clothing, it was though. Half of their population did not survive this first Winter, as they also were low in food stuffs.
(Turns out my desired Thanksgiving blog page will happen after all — this letter is inspired and covering all I wanted to write about).
They survived, and in the following year managed to plant and grow crops, with help from the Native Americans in the region. Who showed them local plants, crops and resources they adopted for their own uses. Maize for example, an original American continent crop, like tobacco, potatoes and others which are now so widespread.
After the growing season was over, they had a good crop and food to tide them over the next Winter. In celebration, they made a big meal, invited the Natives to also come join them, which is a fascinating story.
Harvest celebrations are ancient
You mention not having this in Europe, like another friend from Czechia also said – but the fact is, there always had been similar celebrations, the Harvest festivals when a crop is on hand, a huge relief for the whole group as their survival over the harsh Winter is now warranted.
These have been celebrated since before Christian times, and I think it's the best way to look at them – ancient customs, and not a 1621 new custom, coming from a small colony in far out North American wilderness country.
Wikipedia has a good page about them. And so does Encyclopedia Britannica.
My letter is getting long, I am afraid, so I should stop here and send it, with my best wishes that all remains well with you and your family, dear friend.
I will read and reply to the second letter tomorrow, as it's getting late and I still need to prepare dinner.
Be well, salut,
Yann2.
[ 980 words, 5,498 characters — not bad, a nice size. ]
Postcards for Friends | About the Photo
The streetcar passing in front of the Rua Augusta Arch, a gorgeous monument and landmark in Lisboa, Portugal, which is also shown in a Slowly location stamp (Wiki). Nice photo by Arthur Coelho, with thanks.
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