Thanksgiving

Celebrating Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving in today's culture brings to mind a huge meal, football, and the beginning of a wild shopping season leading to Christmas. That version dramatically differs from the original Thanksgiving and the circumstances surrounding it. The only common denominator between the first Thanksgiving in 1621 and Thanksgiving as it is known today comes from the celebration of enjoying many good things.

The first Thanksgiving arose as a culmination to years of hardship and suffering. English Separatists left their motherland and settled in Holland for the purpose of exercising freedom in religious observances. Within several years, they determined that the Dutch influence on their young people created an unhealthy appetite for worldliness. This reality pushed a group of them to prepare to leave Europe and settle in New England.

Originally, 120 settlers boarded two ships for the New World. However, one of those ships, the Speedwell, was unable to make the voyage and eighteen passengers remained in England. The Mayflower carried 102 passengers (104 by the end of the voyage, but five died en route) to New England. September 16, 1620 marked the day of departure from Plymouth, England. The voyage was filled with numerous storms and dangers, resulted in the loss of some life. The Pilgrims and the crew reached their destination on November 21st. This historic day also marked the signing of the social contractual agreement among those about to begin a new colony, the Mayflower Compact. Cape Cod marked the initial landing place of the Mayflower. Several days of exploration would prove this piece of land to be an island. On December 21, 1620, the Pilgrims finally landed in Plymouth harbor. Here they would begin new and hard life, and the toll of the winter would cause the population to dwindle to half its original size, claiming 51 lives. Those surviving the winter would be faced with incredible odds of survival for the year to come.

The months after landing were filled with adjustment to a new land and the navigation of international relations to the indigenous people. Careful handling of these relationships proved life-saving for the Pilgrims. One contact in particular allowed the Pilgrims to communicate with the indigenous tribes and provided an essential resource to understanding the ways of the land regarding the production of food. Squanto was a member of an indigenous tribe wiped out by a plague. Squanto had been captured years earlier by Europeans, brought to Spain and England, and taught English. He successfully escaped back to his homeland. Squanto taught the Pilgrims the correct time to plant corn and methods for effectively fertilizing their crops. He showed them edible plants and demonstrated effective techniques to catch game and fish. Without Squanto's help, the winter of 1621-22 would have probably wiped out the remaining Pilgrim population.

William Bradford, the new colony's governor, established a three-day celebration for the bountiful harvest taken in during the fall of 1621. No exact dates are known, but most assume that this took place near the end of October. The celebration includes feasting, games, and more feasting. The indigenous people were invited and brought a great supply of meat, including five deer. Bradford's purpose in establishing this point of celebration was simply to give praise to God for abundantly providing all the Pilgrims needed and allowing them to sustain an existence in the New World.

Two years later, following several months of no rain during the critical part of the growing season, Governor Bradford established a day of fasting and prayer. That same day historical records describe a perfect, watering rain descending. Once again, the Pilgrims took a day to give thanksgiving to God for His provision.

The official Thanksgiving holiday as observed today was not fully established, although the precedent was set. However, in an official ordinance, the governing authority was vested with the privilege of naming such days as he saw fit.

Throughout the history of the United States, days of thanksgiving were appointed numerous times by various presidents. However, in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln formally adopted Thanksgiving as a national holiday, one that has been observed annually since that time. Congress passed a bill in 1941 declaring the last Thursday of November to be the day set aside for Thanksgiving. An amendment was later added designating the day as the fourth Thursday in November.

Today, Thanksgiving marks the busiest travel day in the country as millions of people reunite with their families to celebrate the abundance they enjoy and the relationships with friends and family. The underlying principle of giving thanks to God still remains, although many additional traditions have been added. Turkey normally is the main course of choice, often supplemented with ham, some form of potatoes, salads, dressing, and a variety of desserts. Pumpkin and apple pies normally are found in abundance on Thanksgiving.