Thursday, November 16, 2017

Pilgrims - Before America's 1621 Thanksgiving

   
     These Pilgrims have been with me for almost 30 years.The story of why I still have Coca~Cola bottle Pilgrims is one I enjoy telling.
     Back in the day...when I taught English language and literature with a creative flair, students had the opportunity to bring something from their own imaginations to the most recent study, to show understanding of the important concepts. No need for paper and pencil.
     One of my students did not like coming to school. Period. She presented plenty of doctor's notes when she did show up. Her mom would collect assignments from the guidance office for two weeks at a time. One of the assignments in the list from me was the culminating project following the study of Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, one of the most important early pieces of English literature.
     A study of human nature and relationships among the pilgrims who traveled from London to Canterbury was shown in the classic.The characters are fictional but they offered insight into the time period and a study of the various social classes, revealed in each pilgrim's tale.
     While these two Pilgrims help with November decor every year, I remember why they grace my table. It would be downright weird to have the Wife of Bath and the Cook central to the decor for my Thanksgiving dining room table.