Some Remembered Things

This time last year at Cliopatria, we were having a discussion about Thanksgiving as an"invented tradition." My recollection is that we agreed that all human traditions have an origin or origins and that, perhaps, it's better to think of them as" constructions of social memory." At the Volokh Conspiracy, Jim Lindgren quotes from the only primary document on which the popular recollection of Thanksgiving is based. H-South has just had an extended discussion about claims that Thanksgiving was first celebrated – not in Massachusetts Bay -- but in Virginia. If so, two things may be implied: 1) it draws on an English tradition of fall harvest festivals; and 2) at some point, New England seized on the imagery around our celebration of Thanksgiving to" construct" a narrative about Pilgrims and native Americans.

This time last year at Cliopatria, we were welcoming Jonathan Reynolds and Greg Robinson to our circle. One of Cliopatria's children, the Dictionary of Received Ideas, was born at this time last year. It was originally Nathanael Robinson's idea, but Natalie Bennett, Pearsall Helms, Sharon Howard, and others joined him in it. My recollection is that the Dictionary of Received Ideas helped convince me that there was such a thing as a"history blogosphere" and that Cliopatria could help put people of shared interests in touch with each other by creating the History Blogroll. When it was launched, we had no idea that it would grow to a list of over 275 blogs, including those in a half-dozen non-English languages. Happy anniversary and thanks to everyone for your many contributions. It has been a bountiful harvest and a memorable year.

Update: I see that my holiday platter is festooned with a few choice epithets this afternoon."Greedy buggers ..." says Sharon Howard;"sleezy bastard ..." calls Andrew Ackerman. Still, I am full of good cheer and reply:"Well, yah, but ... happy Thanksgiving."