Exactly what does this holiday represent, and when is it
celebrated?
The first
Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621 in the colony of Plymouth,
Massachusetts. The story begins with the colonists who settled
in the New World.
They were
from England and had lived in the large cities there, so coming
to this new land, and adjusting to the rural life was extremely
difficult for them. In fact the first winter many died of famine
during the harsh winter. It’s said that the local Indians
decided to help these colonists and proposed planting the native
crops of corn, sweet potatoes and pumpkin. They also showed
them how to hunt the wild turkeys that were plentiful in the
area.
When the
harvest time arrived, there was food in abundance and the
colonists could survive the upcoming winter. They decided to
celebrate by having a feast, and of course they invited their
Indian friends too.
They
thanked God for all the food and this “thanksgiving” was
heartfelt by all.
It was
George Washington, the first President of the United States,
who inaugurated the Thanksgiving Ceremony to commemorate
the historic communion of the pilgrim Fathers and the Indians.
In 1863,
another President, Abraham Lincoln, made Thanksgiving a
national holiday. It was a difficult period as the country
was still in the midst of a Civil War, and it was Lincoln’s
attempt to unify a divided nation.
Each year
on the fourth Thursday in November, the American
population celebrates Thanksgiving Day. It’s a special day set
aside to give thanks to God for all His blessings. It’s a day
for everyone to thank God, no matter what religion they
profess.
It’s a
family holiday when people get together for a traditional turkey
dinner. No Thanksgiving dinner is complete without a roast
turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes and pumpkin
pie!!
Overheard: A group of Pilgrim Fathers sitting around the table
at the first Thanksgiving celebration. “We ought to do this
again next year!”
A Nice
Thought:
“If
the only prayer you said in your whole life was “Thank you”,
that would suffice.”