Strawberry Thanksgiving
On Saturday, June 22, Plimoth Patuxet celebrated the growing season with gratitude at 2024's Strawberry Thanksgiving. The Museum is grateful to our colleagues on the Historic Patuxet Homesite for hosting a day filled with educational programs and activities. We are thankful to the Standing Quiver Singers from Mashpee, Massachusetts, for their powerful presentation. We are grateful to the guests who visited and participated.
An Annual Celebration for Nearly 30 Years
Since time immemorial Eastern Woodland peoples have marked the beginning of summer with the ripening of strawberries, the first berry of the season. “The People indigenous to this area were well aware of this abundance,” explained Nancy Eldredge, (Nauset Wampanoag), when writing previously on Wampanoag traditions of giving thanks. “For generations and generations, the Wampanoag knew of certain times and seasons to collect berries, to gather plants for medicines, to hunt and fish; they also knew how to ensure that there would be food for the future of their People. One of those ways was the daily giving of thanks for the abundance of materials that were given by the Creator for everyday life. By keeping gratefulness in mind, the Creator’s gifts were not taken for granted.”
Known as a “heart berry,” communities gather together on the full moon to harvest and celebrate this gift from the Creator with feasting, games, songs, and dance. Educators in the Wampanoag Indigenous Program first began presenting Strawberry Thanksgiving celebrations at the Museum in 1996. “Plimoth Patuxet is dedicated to illuminating the history, heritage and culture of the Indigenous people of the Northeast,” said Executive Director Ellie Donovan. “We’re grateful to our colleagues for sharing their traditions and lifeways, and proud to host this annual celebration for nearly 30 years.”
Throughout the day on the Historic Patuxet Homesite, there were several exciting activities including special cooking displays, corn husk doll making, and a thrilling presentation by the Standing Quiver Singers in which they led a processional dance through the English Village.
