The 4th Thursday of November falls on the 23rd this year and that means Thanksgiving Day - just as it has since the 4th Thursday of November back in 1863. It's a chance for Victoire and Louis Burgundy to put on their best clothes as they celebrate the journey of the pilgrim fathers who had just landed from the Mayflower.
A journey back in time
Yes, Victoire and Louis know all about the Thanksgiving story. It was told to them last year, but they always insist on re-hearing it. Nestled in the cosy armchairs at the Burgundy Hotel, they listen once more as they go back in time and cross the stormy seas. The story starts in England, in Plymouth to be exact. It's September 1620 and the proud ship Mayflower is ready to depart. On board are 35 religious dissidents who are fleeing persecution and dream of founding a colony in the lands of the New World. A storm is raging, and the ship prepares to dock urgently, it will be Cape Code and not the banks of the Hudson as intended. It's November and the settlers are organising themselves but famine and scurvy take hold and most of the pilgrims are decimated.
A big thank-you
And we need to stop here; Marie loves this moment, Louis holds back his tears and Victoire is already anticipating the next part – the arrival of Squanto. After watching the pilgrims for several days, the native American Indian returns with unknown plants and seeds. He brings arrows too and shows them how to hunt, where to fish and how to grow corn. The colony is saved. "And the banquet?" asks Louis. Don’t' worry, it's coming. Long tables are set up after the first harvest and set with corn, sweet potato and squash to accompany the spit roasted turkey. Three days of celebration to thank God for the arrival of the Wampanoag Indians. Today, it's in thanks for those we love and want to spend time with. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
~oOo~
Hotel Burgundy Paris, a 5 star hotel in Paris, at the heart of the 1st district