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Thanksgiving Day at Old Sturbridge Village

Old Sturbridge will be open on Thanksgiving Day, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and will recreate for modern-day visitors the traditions of the holiday as it was celebrated in the 1830s, with a focus on the differences and similarities between Thanksgiving traditions then and now.

Thanksgiving is the American holiday with the deepest roots in our history. In many ways, Thanksgiving celebrations and traditions today are remarkably similar to those of the early 19th century.

Today, of course, football games and televised parades often precede the family dinner, but what unifies Thanksgiving traditions of yesterday and today is the gathering of loved ones, the preparation of the meal, and the feast itself.

Turkey is Traditional
In the 1830s, as today, turkey was expected on most Thanksgiving tables. In early New England, however, turkeys were smaller – typically about eight pounds – obligating those who preparing the meal to include other dishes, such as chicken pie, roast beef, or even a joint of mutton alongside the turkey.

In the 1830s, turkey was hung on a string in front of a roaring fire or rotated on a spit inside a tin reflector oven on an open hearth, but rich puddings, pies, and bread were baked in great quantities in wood-fired brick ovens for the Thanksgiving feast. Visitors to Old Sturbridge Village are sometimes surprised to learn that one common method for checking oven temperature was for the cook to stick her bare arm into the bake oven until she reached her threshold of pain: the higher the count, the lower the temperature. She’d then adjust her baking time accordingly.

Thanksgiving Day menus of the 1830s included many of the same items on today’s Thanksgiving table: turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, and pie, although pies were generally enjoyed along with the meal rather than served as dessert. Chicken, mince meat, pumpkin, apple, and cranberry pies were common and certainly have become traditional.

One dish that appeared almost universally on the 19th-century New England Thanksgiving table was Marlborough Pudding, a rich, custard-like pie made with apples, lemon, eggs, cream, and wine. Period receipts (recipes) for Marlborough Pudding are nearly as plentiful and varied as recipes for potato salad are today (every cook had her own version), but its absence on modern-day Thanksgiving tables confirms that the dish dropped out of favor and today is an historical curiosity..

Thanksgiving Etiquette
Today, a napkin worn like a bib and the use of the knife to convey food to the mouth violate contemporary standards of etiquette, but in the 1830s they were entirely acceptable. In fact, eating off a broad-bladed knife and protecting one’s clothes with a napkin tucked into the collar were everyday conventions. Such behavior is quite conspicuous at Old Sturbridge Village on the holiday, when costumed staff members demonstrate early 19th-century table manners while feasting on a Thanksgiving dinner prepared at the hearth in a Village household.

Pre- and Post-meal Traditions
In addition to demonstrations of Thanksgiving dinner cooked at the hearth all morning and then enjoyed by a family of costumed interpreters in a Village household at mid-day, holiday events include a recreated Thanksgiving sermon as well as a shooting match, a popular form of after-dinner entertainment, in the afternoon.

Grandparents, guests, and friends may substitute a visit to the Village for the traditional football game as their own dinner is being prepared at home, or the whole family can walk-off their meal in the crisp autumn air at the Village after their meal at home.

Location

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Route 20, Sturbridge, MA map

Old Sturbridge Village is located just off Route 20 in Sturbridge, near Exit 9 of the Mass Pike (I-90) and Exit 3B of I-84.

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We make best efforts to update information, but it changes frequently, so we cannot warrant it. Please call to check Thanksgiving Day at Old Sturbridge Village schedules, fees, and directions before making the trek. We help you, please help us. Report an Error if you find one.

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