It’s not about being descended from the Mayflower fathers.
It’s not about being an American.
It’s not about turkey and dressing.
It’s not about football or pie.
It’s not about criticizing our forebears.
It’s not about criticizing others’ forebears.
There is a reason why we look to the past. Not that the Pilgrim Fathers were the first to celebrate a time of Thanksgiving. They weren’t. But we do look to them, and remember the thanks that they gave to the Creator. We remember the coming together of nations and races at that time to give thanks for the bounty of the fruits of the earth. For life. For family. For friends. For deliverance from affliction. For deliverance in affliction.
We take note of these things, not as a commemoration of some half-remembered long-ago event, but because we too have a need to give thanks for the good things which come into our lives, despite the setbacks, despite the trials, and the losses, we wish to give thanks for the blessings.
For me it’s all about family. I see my parents and most of my siblings (3/4) at Thanksgiving. Every day I thank my lucky stars for my parents, siblings, and wife and daughter, but at Thanksgiving it all comes together.
Thanksgiving is a perfect to give thanks for family, health and everything going well in life … and sometimes for the major flubs.
It’s also a good time to say thank you, Walden - well said; and thank you to all the other great friends found here at the C & F. You have all made life a little more interesting in many ways.
I love Thanksgiving. It’s not a religious holiday, so I can really get into it. My favorite thing is going around that table saying what we are thankful for. I am so blessed and I have so much bounty in my life. This will be a good Thanksgiving. It will be the first time I am hosting it (ever in my life to date). Yeah, my biological family is tiny, but my married family is rather large. I can’t wait.
. . . and giving thanks that my family is not starving as my ancestors did in the old country. (Sorry, Jim, but some sentiments seem to cry out to me for completion).
Remember, if you can’t get together with your family on Thanksgiving, you can get together on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. I only say this because it can be impossible for everyone to get the day off. You can still give thanks when you’re with the ones you love.
To me, Thanksgiving is about giving thanks for all of the Blessings in our lives, getting together with family and eating turkey and filling and my mom’s Pumpkin Pie. Yumm!
Haygood Hardy’s tune, The Homecoming, will always put me in the mood to go home, or be home with family and friends, especially for this time of the year.
I wish you all in the United States, a safe and joyous Thanksgiving!
Huh. Apparantly, until the 1940’s the President had to proclaim the date of Thanksgiving every year;
it wasn’t automatically the 4th Thursday of Nov, as it is now. It wasn’t even really popular until the Civil War.
I think I’d heard that it had been proclaimed by previous presidents, but that Abe set the precedent for it to be proclaimed annually. Under Washington, there were also days of repentance and of fasting proclaimed.
I had the same thought, Will, which is why I looked up that article on straightdope.com
The reason you thought that is because it was somewhat correct. The presidents after
Washington generally ignored Thanksgiving, until Lincoln, so it really was Lincoln who
brought it back to the forefront, but it took Congress to officially make it a recurring
national holiday.
And please, don’t forget about those who will be alone this holiday. There is nothing more miserable than being alone on a holiday all about family and friends. Extend your hand and invite them to join in your celebration if at all possible. One more person at the table isn’t really any more work, and the rewards are endless. Or even just bring them a plate of leftovers (I know you’ll have lots of turkey left )
