Autumn festivals have been held for centuries. The Greeks and Romans honored their harvest gods with gifts and sacrifices to insure a bountiful season. The annual flooding of the Nile that brought fertile soil and deposited it on desert land was seen as a miraculous event, and the Egyptians paid homage to the river god accordingly.

Thanksgiving is the modern descendant of these ancient holidays, with one important difference. The early settlers of this country gave thanks to God for his blessings after the plentiful harvest. The Pilgrims had grown and preserved enough food to get them through the tough New England winter. The resulting meal was made possible through God's blessings and He was honored with a feast that lasted three days!

The Pilgrim's meal was not the beginning of an annual event; it occured once in 1621 and was not revived until much later. But the seed was planted. 150 years passed before the Continental Congress suggested the creation of a National Day of Thanksgiving during the American Revolution. In 1817 New York became the first state to adopt Thanksgiving Day as an annual holiday.
A Big Slice is proud to present our very own wine tasting kit, the Bacchus Box, a complete evening of fun in one rosewood box! Challenge your friends to a taste off. May the best wine win! No one, not even the host, knows the identities of the selections. Observe, smell, taste, rank, vote. Was yours the nectar ...or the salad dressing? A relaxed and fun way to discover new favorites. And remember, there is always a next time with the Bacchus Box. Includes everything you need (except wine and glasses) and a free 12 minute instructional DVD. Great gift! To check out the Bacchus Box, click on the bar above. A Big Slice is a very large website (including over 200 recipes!) that is organized thematically. But if you know what you are looking for, just click on the bar above and it will take you to our search page. Type in the term, or recipe in the space provided and it will take you directly to that page. If any links appear to be broken, please let us know at:

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Click above to return to the A Big Slice homepage. From there you will be able to visit our wine and international dinners sections. Plus we have a recipe and craft archive so you can quickly find what you are looking for. If it is contact information that you seek, that is also on the homepage - near the bottom. Thousands have already signed up for our newsletter. In 2009 we are focusing on the monthly holidays in a different way. How about a Mardi Gras Fais Do Do? Or a hearty St. Patrick's Day Irish Breakfast. We include holiday trivia and history, table settings, napkin folds and of course recipes. All we need is your email address. Click on the bar above to sign up. Thank you!
Click on the above link to return to the main entertaining page. There you will find complete menu, decorating and craft ideas for every month of the year. For our complete list of recipes including main courses, salads and desserts, click on the above link.