BEING THANKFUL

When we watch television or read a newspaper we are often inundated with devastating news such as murders, terrorism, or horrific incidents like in Las Vegas and Newton, Connecticut. Undoubtedly, these events are upsetting and very depressing.  It seems that internationally, we are faced with the possibility of nuclear war. Yet, we do have the opportunity to be thankful for the saner moments we have.

This November 23, 2917 is Thanksgiving Day in America.  It was first held in 1621 at Plymouth, Massachusetts when the pilgrims arrived on the Mayflower.  This holiday has become a tradition to give us the opportunity to express our thanks for the blessings we have despite the sadness and depressing events that face us personally or socially. It seems that historically, it was not an easy time for the first settlers but they found help from the Wampanoag Indians who taught them how to cultivate the land. Eventually, the first Thanksgiving was held for three days with the Indians invited as guests.  Imagine how meaningful the holiday was for the first settlers.  It was a true blessing for them after a grueling trip across the ocean.  You might say they were some of our earliest immigrants.

It wasn’t until the 1660s that the holiday took on any significance. The author of “Mary Had A Little Lamb”, Sarah Josepha Hale is thought to be the person who persuaded Abraham Lincoln to make Thanksgiving a national holiday.  In 1863 President Lincoln made Thanksgiving a national holiday to be observed on the last Thursday in November to be the national day of Thanksgiving.  It was traditionally a religious and cultural celebration.  Today, similar holidays exist in other countries throughout the world in which people hold ceremonies to give thanks, common in almost all religions and cultures, especially after harvests.

It is particularly interesting to know that our friendly neighbor Canada was thought to have its first Thanksgiving in 1578.  It is believed that it occurred when an explorer Martin Frobisher held a Thanksgiving celebration for surviving his journey from England.  Some believe that these celebrations can be attributed to French settlers who came to New France in the 1600s with the explorer Samuel de Champlain. He celebrated successful harvests which were shared with the native people and had large feasts of thanks. However, most Canadians consider Thanksgiving a statutory holiday.  There are other places or countries such as Germany, Japan, Grenada, Liberia and some Caribbean islands who celebrate a variety of Thanksgiving holidays.  Most important is the observation that many people throughout the world take time to give thanks for the blessings they have. It’s the dedication toward life that has value.