The history of Thanksgiving is probably something you are quite familiar with. No doubt it was part of your history lessons in school. Everyone knows the story of the Pilgrims coming over on the Mayflower and celebrating their first abundant harvest with a large feast known today as the first Thanksgiving.
Chances are, however, that you have not heard about the Manchu-Han Imperial Feast – the ancient Chinese equivalent of Thanksgiving. Well, that’s not exactly what it is, but hear me out. I’m sure you’ll see the similarities once I’ve shared a bit about this impressive feast.
History of the Manchu-Han Imperial Feast
The Manchu-Han Imperial Feast first took place around 1720 – almost exactly 100 years after the first Thanksgiving. While the origin of this feast is somewhat disputed, many of the sources I consulted shared the same story.
Around the time of this feast, the Qing Dynasty had already been established and China was ruled by the Manchurians from the north. The Manchus and the Han people, however, did not get along very well. In an effort to bring them together in peace, the great emperor Kangxi held a 3-day celebration for his 66th birthday, inviting high-level Manchu and Han officials. The six banquets that were served over the three days consisted of impressive dishes of both Manchu and Han origin. In all, there were said to be no less than 180 dishes with the possibility of more than 300 being served. Needless to say, many of these dishes sound more than a little exotic: shark fin, tiger tail, camel hump, bear paw, sea cucumber, etc.
Evidently, this feast of peace was rather successful for the years following were peaceful with the Manchus and Hans, and the emperor Kangxi went on to become the longest-reigning emperor in Chinese history.
And Today…
Fast forward to today. The traditional food served at Thanksgiving dinner is lacking in quantity and variety compared to the first Thanksgiving. The Pilgrims no doubt had fish, venison, and a variety of wild fowl not to mention an abundance of vegetables. Today, an average Thanksgiving dinner takes more than a little amount of effort to prepare. However, our modern Thanksgiving meal pales in comparison with the first Thanksgiving feast.
Much like the differences between the first Thanksgiving feast and the ones we are more familiar with, a Manchu-Han Imperial Feast today is but a faint reflection of the extreme extravagance of the first Manchu-Han Imperial Feast. Many of the exotic dishes on the original menu can no longer be made because they used animals that are now considered endangered species.
So…
While these two feasts are quite different in origin, they definitely have their similarities as well. For one, the overabundance of food. I mean, who doesn’t want to have an annual all-out food fest?
So if you ever tire of turkey and stuffing, maybe you could try something a little more exotic… like lotus root or dragon eye. And who knows? Maybe you might just end up liking it!
Happy Thanksgiving in advance!
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