The Celebration of Thanksgiving

by Pacific Vista Landscape Services

Most of us learned in grade school about the origins of Thanksgiving. We donned Pilgrim hats, Indian headbands and turkey costumes to portray the historical beginnings of our popular holiday. We learned that after the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock in 1621, they celebrated what became known as the first Thanksgiving with the friendly Indians who lived there. The celebration of the first successful harvest in the New World was a feast that lasted for three days, and included food traditional to the Pilgrims and also to the Indians. In 1789, George Washington announced that there would be a day of Thanksgiving to mark the end of the Revolutionary War.

It wasn’t until the 1800’s, however, that Thanksgiving became a true American tradition. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of November. In l939, President Franklin Roosevelt changed the official date to the third Thursday in November.

Today, the holiday has become a fall festival for the celebration and gathering together of family and friends. Thanksgiving is a day of feasting, and is all about food. Being abundant in the earlier days of the celebration, the wild turkey became the icon of the holiday meal. Other meats, such as venison and pork were also probably on the menu.  In addition to the traditional food offerings of turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberries and pies, homes are decorated in fall themes and colors. 

Dressing up your Thanksgiving table with festive decorations is an important part of this holiday celebration. Traditional Thanksgiving decorations are inspired by the harvest, and are usually in colors of orange, red, yellows and browns. Autumn leaves are festive and easy to find! Pumpkins and squashes hollowed out make great holders for flowers and candles. Combining roses and mums with greens in autumn colors, makes for a unique and beautiful floral arrangement. Fruits such as apples, persimmons, oranges and cranberries can add wonderful, colorful accents. Corn comes in many colors and is another great decoration for the table. For a country flavor, try combining your flowers with fruits in Mason jars.  Even throw some nuts and acrorns around the center of the table! The ideas are endless, and it is much more fun and affordable to do your table decorations yourself! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Science Behind Autumn Leaves Changing Color Explained!

Autumn is known for transforming deciduous trees into magnificent displays of red, yellow, and orange leaves. Unlike evergreens which can endure cold climates because of their foliage’s thick wax coating and the freeze resistant substance within allowing them to hold onto their leaves, deciduous trees have their own way of adjusting to changes in climate.  The leaves of a deciduous tree changes color and eventually falls off, but there is more happening than a change in appearance.  To understand the science behind the change in color of autumn trees, it is important to take a look inside the leaves of a deciduous tree.

The colors of red, yellow, and orange in the leaves of deciduous trees are the result of organic pigments known as carotenoids and anthocyanins.  Carotenoids, a pigment present in the chloroplasts within the cells of leaves, results in the yellow, orange, and even brown shades.  Anthocyanins are produced through exposure to bright light and excess plant sugars in the leaves and they are responsible for the various tones of red in a leaf. During the spring and summer, chlorophyll, which is found in every plant, masks these other pigments with its green color.  Chlorophyll is an important part of photosynthesis, a chemical reaction in the plant that converts energy from sunlight into chemical energy and is essential for plant life.

In autumn, when the nights tend to become longer and colder, deciduous trees senses this change and begin to prepare for the upcoming winter by slowing down and eventually stopping the production of chlorophyll in it's leaves. The absence of chlorophyll exposes the carotenoids and anthocyanins, making the autumn colors of the other pigments visible!  When the chlorophyll is all gone, the tree is able to rid itself of its leaves. This is important because otherwise the leaves would freeze and the tree would not survive.

The changing colors and dropping of the deciduous tree's leaves is key to it making it through the winter.  Without chlorophyll to hide the other pigments, the traditional autumn colors of red, yellow, and orange can be easily seen.  This change in color is not only a beautiful sight, but also a process that has more to it than meets the eye!