by Nathan Hendrick
Back in Plymouth, it was a crisp, sunny day near the median of May, 1623, and Governor Bradford decided that the wedding between John Alden and Priscilla Mullins called for a feast.
"Go out and tell every man, woman, and child that they are invited to a large and wondrous feast on the day of John and Priscilla's wedding!" he ordered Stephen Hopkins, who was at that moment husking corn. "And don't forget to tell them to prepare by baking and harvesting!"
"Yes, sir!" said Hopkins. Then he ran off.
"Sigh!" William Bradford sighed. "Now I have to husk this corn myself."
The next day he told Edward Winslow, Isaac Allerton, and two other Pilgrims to go and hunt wild turkey, duck, and goose. Then Bradford told William Brewster, who was in a good mood, relaxing with his hat tipped over his face, to go out in the shallop and catch "a goodly amount of cod or bass, and perhaps an eel or two." William picked five other men and pushed off.
Then last, but definitely not least, he
asked Mistress Hopkins, Mrs. Billington,
and Mary Brewster to do the cooking, The whole town began to
bustle with preparations for the wedding. The children and women
fetched wood, chopped vegetables, baked bread, and roasted meat,
while the men hunted, harvested, and got the beer, water, and
wine ready.
On May 21, 1623, the final preparations began for the feast.
Tablecloths were put on the tables, seats were designated, and
proceedings were set up. Most of the cooking was done, but some
stew and corn had to be cooked. Most of this took all day, and
as dark consumed the plantation, the Pilgrims slept, waiting
for the wedding and the feast.