Every November, American families gather to celebrate Thanksgiving Day. We remember the Plymouth Pilgrims of 1621, and feast on turkey with all the fixin’s: mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, as well as mince and pumpkin pie. Curiously, there’s virtually no evidence that any of these dishes were actually eaten by the Pilgrims. More surprising, the Pilgrims did not actually consider their event to be a “thanksgiving day.” Finally, Thanksgiving wasn’t observed as a national holiday until 1863.

On Friday, Nov. 9, Coastal Senior College instructor Nate Randall will give an illustrated talk reviewing these and many other details about how and why our modern celebration came into being. Sponsored by Coastal Senior College, the talk will take place from 10 a.m. to noon in the Porter Room at Damariscotta’s Skidompha Library. It is open to the general public without admission charge.

“The true history of American Thanksgiving Day – especially the iconic dinner – is actually much more interesting than the highly romanticized version most of us were taught as children,” notes Mr. Randall. “Together, we’ll take a look at fact and fiction, and discover the surprising way each element of the modern observance fell into place to create a holiday particularly reflective of the American spirit.”

Nathan A. Randall is a cultural historian with broad interests in musical, culinary, and marine history. He holds degrees from Tufts and Smith Colleges, as well as Princeton University where he served as Artistic Director of the university’s concert series for more than 25 years. Nate is well known to Coastal Senior College students, having offered annual courses ranging from the music of Igor Stravinsky, to the operettas of Gilbert and Sullivan, and a course on Italian Cooking! He has spoken on early New England food history to The Friends of Colonial Pemaquid, and to the Boothbay Region Historical Society. He is also a volunteer at the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, Maine, where he serves as a motorman / conductor, docent, and host of the summer Children’s Story Time. Additionally, Nate Randall is a docent for and a member of the Education Committee of the Friends of the Kotzschmar Organ in Portland.