Ask some of your friends what they are thankful for this season, and you might hear something like this:
“The health of my children.”
“To be living on this beautiful island with people I love.”
“To be going to the Odd Fellows community dinner, where I don’t have to cook!”
“That I didn’t get laid off.”
Although it’s been a tough year for some, there is still a lot to be thankful for, even if it’s something as small as “I gave a compliment today, and it made someone smile.”
Thanksgiving has changed quite a bit since 1621, when Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared a three-day autumn feast. Our first Thanksgiving didn’t feature pecan pie, mashed potatoes, and enormous turkeys. The entire menu isn’t documented, but historians know that venison and wild fowl were featured. Another fun fact: the pilgrims didn’t use forks. They ate with spoons, knives, and their fingers. They wiped their hands on large cloth napkins, which they also used to pick up hot morsels of food.
It didn’t become a yearly tradition until the American Revolution when a day of national thanksgiving was suggested by the Continental Congress. In 1817 New York State adopted Thanksgiving Day as an annual custom, and by the middle of the 19th century many other states had hopped on board. In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln appointed a day of thanks as the last Thursday in November. President Franklin D. Roosevelt later set the date for Thanksgiving as the fourth Thursday of November.
Giving thanks with a community meal is a long-held tradition throughout the world, particularly for celebrating the harvest and good crops. The Thanksgiving of modern times is a day to eat a lot of turkey, watch football, and be with those you care about. But wouldn’t it be great if it was more like long ago? Appreciating life’s pleasures is something we often don’t get to do during our busy lives.
This year, when you’re sitting around the table, utensils poised to dig in, take a moment to go around the table and say out loud what you are thankful for. Some of the answers might surprise you, others might make you cry. Many families are already doing this, but not all of us remember the reason why we celebrate this holiday.
