It’s Thanksgiving, a day we reserve for being thankful for all of which we’ve been blessed.
We all know the story of the first Thanksgiving in 1621 where the Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony shared their harvest feast with the Wampanoag people as a way of saying thank you. The Wampanoag people had taught the Pilgrims how to farm and survive, so sharing their harvest feast was a way for the Pilgrims to show their appreciation. The New England colonies continued to honor Thanksgiving for many years following.
Thanksgiving wasn’t recognized nationally until 1789 when George Washington proclaimed a “National Day of Thanksgiving” to express gratitude for the U.S. Constitution and the young nation’s prosperity. It wasn’t until 1863, however, that Abraham Lincoln actually declared it a national holiday. He did so after a magazine editor named Sarah Josepha Hale campaigned for it, arguing it would unite our country after the Civil War.
Today we honor the day with feasts, family gatherings, parades and football. It also is considered the day that kicks off the Christmas Season, although from the decorations in the stores, it seems the kickoff actually began right after Halloween. Regardless, Thanksgiving remains a time of reflection, togetherness, and gratitude.
This morning, as I pondered writing about Thanksgiving, I started going down the path of why we need a special day as each day should be a day of thanksgiving. Then I realized that was the wrong path to take. While daily thanking God for all He has done and daily appreciation of everyone around us should be something each of us endeavors to do, that shouldn’t take away from the fact that having a “special” day to get together with family and friends is a good thing and definitely should be celebrated. Turkeys may have a different take, but I think Thanksgiving is a great idea.
Most people will over-eat, including myself. Many people will watch the parade, including myself. A few people will need an afternoon nap, including myself. All people, however, will begin focusing on Christmas, including myself. This will be a short Christmas Season with Thanksgiving occurring so late in November this year, so we will only have 28 days to get everything done.
Decorations will need to be hung. Presents will need to be purchased and wrapped. Cards will need to be mailed. Photos with Santa will need to be taken. There’s so much to get done.
There it is! I’ve just stumbled upon why I’m really thankful for Thanksgiving Day. While many will toil with preparing today’s feast and hosting company, it’s the last day to enjoy not having to worry about Christmas!
Black Friday starts tomorrow!
Leave a Reply