Thanksgiving Day

The word “Thanksgiving” means the expression of gratitude, especially to God. Originally, it was celebrated as a day of expressing gratitude for the blessing of the harvest. The first Thanksgiving was neither a feast nor a holiday as it is today. Rather it was a simple gathering of the pilgrims to pay tribute to their Gods after the harvest. In modern times, it is celebrated as a day for families and friends to get together for a special meal.

Thanksgiving Day in modern times is observed as a public holiday in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November and in Canada on the second Monday in October.

Origin of Thanksgiving Day

The origins of the festival trace back to as early as 1620. In September 1620, a ship called ‘Mayflower’, with 120 passengers left Plymouth, England with 120 passengers on board. The passengers were an assortment of religious separatists who were seeking a new home so that they could practice their faith freely. Braving a very stormy journey that lasted over 66 days, the ‘pilgrims’ as they were famously called, dropped anchor near the tip of Cape Cod. A month later, the ship crossed Massachusetts Bay. It was here that the pilgrims started their work to establish a village. Many of the pilgrims lost their lives due to the bitter winter, but the other pilgrims worked hard to yield a bountiful harvest. To celebrate this successful harvest, in November 1621, the Governor William Bradford organized a celebratory feast and invited all the allies. This was the first Thanksgiving. It was more than just a celebratory feast, the Pilgrims considered it a way of expressing their gratitude to God.

Significance of Thanksgiving Day

Today’s national Thanksgiving celebration is a blend of two traditions, the New England custom of rejoicing after a successful harvest and the Puritan Thanksgiving, a solemn religious observance combining prayer and feasting. Thanksgiving Day in America is a time to offer thanks, of family gatherings and holiday meals. Traditional foods are a large part of Thanksgiving celebrations. Many families include the entire family in the food preparation. Traditional foods include turkey, stuffing, gravy, sweet potatoes, cornbread, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce. Many people serve pie for dessert at the end of the meal. Popular pie flavors are pumpkin, pecan, sweet potato, and apple. Some families choose to serve vegetarian Thanksgiving dinners instead of a stuffed turkey. Some people eat vegetarian turkey, which is made out of tofu. Others prefer to eat squash, salads, or other fruit and vegetable dishes. Many generous folks use Thanksgiving as an opportunity to help the less fortunate by volunteering to serve food at homeless shelters or donate food to shelters or participate in canned food drives.

Spiritual Significance of Thanksgiving Day

The meaning of thanksgiving, in the Bible, reflects adoration, sacrifice, praise or an offering. It is considered a grateful language to God as an act of worship. It focuses on relationship between God and man. Thanksgiving begins with acknowledging God and giving him thanks in advance for His abundant blessings. When you give thanks in the midst of difficulty, you bring pleasure to God’s heart. A thankful heart is any day more powerful than a thankless heart. To move into higher realms of faith, we must give thanks as this would make sure we are living as God’s will. Thanksgiving has tremendous power to bring joy both to us and the people surrounding us. When we are thankful, we recognize that God exists and it reminds us that we are totally dependent on God. By being thankful, we realize that everything that goes on in our life and all the prosperity, family and happiness we have is the result of God’s wisdom and grace. Thanklessness leads one to be proud and depend on people rather than God. It promotes pettiness, focus on self and problems which in turn creates depression and feeling of hopelessness.

Practicing Thanksgiving in everyday life

• Thank God for all that he has given in your life. Thank Him for even the difficulties because he can turn difficulties to happiness.
• Do not wish your life was different because God knows what is best for each of us. Rather try to lead your life according to the right path that God has shown us.
• Note in a journal for all that you are thankful for and that would make you count your blessings.
• Help others who are less fortunate. Out of the abundance of our hearts, we are able to offer our resources to help others.