Our Thanksgiving table would not be the same without pumpkin pie. We include two different kinds: one homemade and one from Eilat Bakery. Plenty of other items adorn the table but it feels as if Thanksgiving isn’t complete unless the meal is finished off with a huge slice of orange, gooey deliciousness.Do you know how pumpkin pie became a featured staple of the Thanksgiving feast? Many historians attribute the introduction of pumpkin pie (the way we know it) to Sarah Josepha Hale, a widow, poet, editor, author, and champion of women’s education in the 1800s. She is known as the “Godmother of Thanksgiving” and often wrote about what to include on the dinner table to celebrate the freedoms of our country. Top of that list is the harvest treat so many of us enjoy.If you read about Sarah Josepha Hale, you would be surprised to learn about her various endeavors and pursuits. She is also surmised to be the author of “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” And yet, type in pumpkin pie, and clearly this stands out as a major piece of this accomplished woman’s legacy. Apparently 50 million pumpkin pies are consumed on Thanksgiving.It leads me to wonder about the legacy each one of us leaves in this world. The steps we make that others will notice long after we depart this earth. A poem, a recipe, an article, remembered advice passed down from one generation to the next? What are we known for and are we proud?On this Shabbat of Thanksgiving, let us give thanks and let us remember the ways in which we shape the future. May our children and grandchildren show pride in our decisions.
Shabbat Shalom
To learn more about the woman behind the pie, click HERE.
