What Thanksgiving Means To Me
11.21.2001
Traditionally, the way most people think of Thanksgiving, they see the holiday as either a religious day where they give thanks to God for their plenty, as a day to see family and friends and feast with them, simply as 'Turkey Day' or as a day to watch football... or perhaps all of the above.
However, in addition to (or in some cases in lieu of) these things, ever since I was a young kid in school learning about the tradition and history of Thanksgiving I have also always thought of it as a day that represents the understanding and tolerance of other cultures, a day where people of widely differing beliefs could come together in peace and in celebration of their friendship and hard work together throughout the year.
Legend has it that the Pilgrims who held the first Thanksgiving did so right alongside with the native Americans of the area. Those native Americans had helped the new Americans, and vice versa, throughout the year to have such a bountiful fall harvest, and they shared with the Pilgrims their traditional foods - the turkey, corn and other such foods we traditionally eat on Thanksgiving. There was cross cultural exchange. There was harmony and unity between folks of differing beliefs.
While their spiritual beliefs and cultures may have been different, their values were the same. Despite their differences, their common values of friendship and hard work together had brought about their bountiful harvest.
You can hardly get more American than that.
And I can guarantee you that those native Americans weren't giving thanks to God like the new Americans were. While the Pilgrims gave prayers of thanks to their God at the dinner table, I imagine the native Americans had already given their thanks to their brothers, the deer and the turkey, for giving their lives for the American's meal that day. Thus, thanksgiving is not specifically a Christian holiday.
It is an American one.
I think we've lost sight of this aspect of Thanksgiving, this uniquely American holiday of ours. Therefore, in addition to doing all the things we typically think of as part of Thanksgiving, maybe we ought to also invite people of other cultures to our table, and have them bring and share their traditional meals and their beliefs and cultures with us, and we with them, because it is upon the strengths of many different cultures and beliefs that these United States were built.
So, while some of us might thank God, or Buddha, or the Great White Buffalo or the animals we kill (directly or by proxy) for the food we eat on Thanksgiving, I believe we should also thank each other. We should thank all other Americans who, like us, have each had a hand in helping to make this counry great and strong and free.
Agree? Disagree? Think I'm full of it?
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