Imagine large, glazed turkeys overflowing with stuffing, served with bowls of mashed potatoes, yams, cranberries and a mouth-watering pumpkin pie with just the right-sized dallop of whipped cream on top.

For many, Thursday will be full of all of these goodies gracing the dining table as football plays on the television set.

But for the first Thanksgiving in America, not one of these staples was there — not even the turkey.

“There certainly was no turkey, no pumpkin pie and no cranberries, even though they were most likely plentiful,” NIU history professor J.D. Bowers said. “It was a normal celebration that lasted for three days that is most reminiscent to [DeKalb’s] CornFest.”

Life was uncertain and starvation was normal, Bowers said. Once the first crop actually did survive, the celebrations began.

“There was eating, yes, and lots of it,” he said. “They served deer, fish, fowl and pheasants. I doubt there was any bear served, though. There were many contests showing off shooting skills, and lots of storytelling and children’s games. It was a celebration.”

In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln appointed Thanksgiving a national holiday, even though the state of New York adopted it as a national custom in 1817.

Why a Thursday, and why in November?

Bowers said the most logical date for the occurrence of the first Thanksgiving would be in late October.

“If you think about it,” he said, “the latest a crop could last would be late October. Look at today, for example. It wouldn’t be a good time with the weather. The crops wouldn’t last. In December 1621, Edward Winslow [a Plymouth Colony leader] wrote a letter to England describing the events, but didn’t date when it happened.”

An excerpt of Winslow’s letter describing the events recalled, “Many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest, their greatest King Massasoil, with some 90 men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted.”

Another myth that Bowers dispelled was the notion that there were more pilgrims present than Indians.

“There were about 90 Native Americans and only 50 colonists, which is quite the opposite of what we believe,” Bowers said. “If you think about it, there were two languages being spoken at the fest.”

Squanto was the translator between the settlers and the Native Americans, as he also helped the colonists with fishing and harvesting. Squanto also encouraged the two to become allies against the Narragansetts tribe.

Their crops lasted and they resisted the Narragansetts, so “it was only natural to want to celebrate,” Bowers said. “Those who lived had a celebration of survival and acknowledged the crucial role of the native Americans.”

As for the turkey myth, Bowers believes it came about through Ben Franklin’s push for the turkey to become the national symbol.

Bowers will celebrate the holiday with his family cooking the traditional meal, but also taking time out to recognize the National Mourning of Native Americans.

“November is a month of celebration for Native Americans,” Bowers said. “In the 1970s, the American Indian Movement declared Thanksgiving a day of mourning, making a political statement about the savaging by the government. I will stop to think about it and I tell my students to as well.”