Long before European settlers arrived, Indigenous peoples across North America celebrated seasonal harvests with feasts, dances, and ceremonies. These celebrations were expressions of gratitude for nature’s bounty and were deeply tied to their spiritual beliefs. The push for a national Thanksgiving holiday gained momentum in the mid-1800s thanks to the efforts of Sarah Josepha Hale, who lobbied presidents and governors for the observance. During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln officially declared Thanksgiving a national holiday to be celebrated on the last Thursday of November and Maryland adopted the practice along with the rest of the Union.
Did you know? In 1939 and 1940 President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in order to give merchants more sales days before the Christmas holiday, made Thanksgiving the third Thursday In November, a widely unpopular decision. In 1941, a Congressional Joint Resolution officially set the fourth Thursday of November as the national holiday for Thanksgiving.
Today Thanksgiving is largely centered around the food, family, and friends, and Marylanders have infused their own local flavors into Thanksgiving dinner, incorporating regional dishes like crab cakes, oyster dressing (stuffing), and other Chesapeake Bay specialties alongside the traditional turkey. Below you’ll find a local recipe for oyster dressing provided by the Maryland Department of Agriculture.
Maryland Oyster Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb Melted butter
- 1/2 Lemon zested
- 1/2 Lemon juiced
- 1 Onion finely diced
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 3 stalks Celery finely diced
- 1/2 cup Vegetable or Chicken stock
- 10 oz Corn Bread (8 X 4 piece) Medium cubes
- 10 oz Artisan white bread (Approx. 10 slices Italian Loaf) Medium cubes
- 18 Maryland Oysters Chopped ; Reserve liquor.
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Black pepper
- 1 tbsp Fresh thyme chopped
- 1 1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper
- 1/4 cup Fresh Chervil or Parsley chopped
- 1 tsp Fresh sage chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Over medium heat melt 1 tbsp. butter in pan then add onion and celery and sauté for 4 min.
- Add garlic and sauté for additional minute before removing pan from heat.
- Melt remaining butter in new pan and add all seasonings, lemon and herbs.
- In a large bowl mix both breads, sautéed vegetables, butter mixture, and oysters plus reserved liquor. Once this has been mixed add stock.
- Put mixture in a rectangular oven safe pan and cook at 350 degrees for approximately 30 to 40 minutes or until mixture is appears lightly browned on top and visible sides.
Related: Our weekly podcast PreserveCast explored the story of Thanksgiving from all angles with guest Dr. David J. Silverman who makes the case that the way we remember and consider Thanksgiving requires thoughtful reconsideration of the story long told to us as children – of Europeans gathering with native peoples and peacefully celebrating a harvest – as we endeavor to tell the full story of American history.
Happy Thanksgiving from Preservation Maryland – may your table and hearts be full!