Liam 3 - Thanksgiving

The Meaning of Thanksgiving

As all of you know, this Thursday is Thanksgiving. This holiday has a pretty straightforward appearance - get together with family on the 4th Thursday in November and eat lots of food. Once this modern facade is removed, Thanksgiving becomes more complex.

The first Thanksgiving is commonly attributed to the Mayflower pilgrims and Indians in Massachusetts. This was by no means the first Thanksgiving. There is a doubt as to whether or not it is even the first Thanksgiving in North America. The original Thanksgivings were Puritan holy days of celebration in response to acts of special providence. There were several days of Thanksgiving in a year. The practice of having days of Thanksgiving continued with the European settlement of the New World. There were Thanksgivings in Canada, Massachusetts, Virginia, or Florida.

This all applies to how we celebrate Thanksgiving. We have so many things to be thankful for it seems that by limiting Thanksgiving to one day, we miss the true meaning. Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate and be thankful for the gifts we receive with a big family meal. We can and should give thanks whenever there is a reason to. Thanksgiving has become more of a beginning to the holiday season than a time of thankfulness. Following Thanksgiving with Black Friday has given it a vibe of excess that is entirely against the original meaning. The increasing model of consumerism has taken away from the moral and spiritual original Thanksgiving. Before digging into the turkey, mashed potatoes, and gravy on Thursday, I think that we would all benefit from thinking about something for which we are truly thankful.