 In the United States of America, citizens celebrate the fourth Thursday of November as Thanksgiving. As a legally recognized holiday, government and schools close in recognition of this day. Families meet to feast together and watch football. While the traditional turkey dinner mimics the intent of the original Thanksgiving meal, many celebrants question why we celebrate the holiday. To discover why the entire country celebrates Thanksgiving, one must travel back in time to September 1620. Pilgrims wishing to escape religious persecution in Europe sailed to the New World in 1620. With the intention to land in the colony of Virginia, their ship The Mayflower instead headed north and landed on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in November 1620. Faced immediately with winter’s inclement weather, the Pilgrims were unable to erect shelters or plant food. Half of this zealot community sacrificed their lives that first, harsh winter. Miraculously, a Native American rescued the Pilgrims in 1621. Samoset and English speaking Squanto taught the surviving Pilgrims how to hunt wildlife and plant corn. In October of 1621, the Pilgrims harvested their crops. To celebrate their gratitude, the settlers invited the Indians to join them for a three-day feast. With thanksgiving to Almighty God for His blessings and the abundant harvest, the community surrounding Plymouth generously shared the bounty they grew, trapped, and caught. In November 1777, after over 150 years of annual celebration, our new nation’s Congress ordained the first National Thanksgiving Proclamation. Henry Laurens, President of Continental Congress, suggested that the people express gratitude with one voice on the third Thursday of December and set themselves apart to serve God, the Divine Benefactor. The first President of our country George Washington decreed February 18, 1795 as a National day of Thanksgiving in order to show gratitude to God and acknowledge the country’s obligations to God. Following the example laid before him, President Abraham Lincoln declared in 1863 the last Thursday of November as a day to praise and thank God in heaven. In the throes of the Civil War, President Lincoln petitioned the American people as a whole to acknowledge God’s blessing in our country. Over time, the country continued to observe an annual celebratory feast in honour of the first harvest by the Pilgrims. In November 1941, President Franklin set the fourth Thursday of November as the official Thanksgiving Day. While farming no longer dominates
America’s economy, citizens continue to celebrate the annual harvest by feasting
with family and friends. People from various backgrounds, occupations,
nationalities, and religious persuasion take time annually to honour the
Pilgrims for bravely sacrificing their comforts and lives in order to establish
a country where we enjoy liberty, freedom, and justice for all. |
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