Postpone Thanksgiving?!

In October, 1705, the Connecticut settlement of Colchester was facing an early winter. While New England was known for its cold snaps, this one was unusually premature and severe, with temperatures so low that nearby waterways froze. The timing was unfortunate!

The community had not yet received wintertime provisions, which were typically shipped to them by boat, and a day of Thanksgiving — planned for November 4 — was quickly approaching. At the time, Thanksgiving was not yet a fixed holiday.

The most important item, molasses, was running low in pantries around town, and without it, residents faced a gloomy situation: Thanksgiving without bread, baked beans, or pumpkin pie. Rather than suffer a paltry holiday spread, town residents voted to postpone Thanksgiving by a week in the hope that a molasses delivery would arrive in time ~ and apparently, it DID!

In the years to follow, the event was dubbed the “Great Colchester Molasses Shortage,” and eventually parodied in poems.

I don’t think we have to worry ever about our Thanksgiving being postponed! And, as you know, your Two Chums feel that it should be each and every day. Be sure to give thanks!

Enjoy!