Have you taken the fun little ouiz to find out how much you know about Thanksgiving? I’ll tell you something about the history of Thanksgiving Day that encourages us to step back and give thanks for all the blessings we have. Maybe you WIII discover some unusual things about the history of Thanksgiving. ln 1620, a boat filled With more than one hundred people sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to settle in the New World. This religious group had begun to question the beliefs of the Church of England and they wanted to separate from it, The Pilgrims settled in What is now the state of Massachusetts.
Their first winter in the New World Was difficult. They had arrived too late to grow many crops; and Without fresh food, half the colony died from ſrorn disease. The following spring, the Iroquois Indians taught them how to grow corn (maize), a new food for the colonists. They showed them other crops to grow in the unfamiliar soil and how to hunt and fish, or in the autumn of 1621, bountiful crops of corn, and barley. beans and pumpkins were harvested. The colonists had much to be thankful for, so a feast Was planned, They invited the local Indian chief and ninety Indians, The Indians brought deer to roast With the turkeys and other Wild games offered by the colonists. The colonists had learned how to cook cranberries and different kinds of corn and squash dishes from the Indians. For this first Thanksgiving, the Indians had even brought popcorn. In the following years, many of the original colonists celebrated the autumn harvest With a feast of thanks. After the United States became an independent country.
Congress recommended one yearly day of thanksgiving, for the whole nation to celebrate. George Washington suggested the date November 26 as Thanksgiving Day, Then in 1864, at the end of a long and bloody civil war, Abraham Lincoln asked all Americans to set aside the last Thursday in November as a day of thanksgiving, The fourth Thursday in November is called Thanksgiving Day, Many families celebrate thanksgiving differently but the most known custom is to celebrate it With their family. People will travel great distances just to be able to eat one special dinner With their family. Giving thanks for their lives, listening to each other, and remembering the first Thanksgiving, ln the United States, Thanksgiving dinner is practically the same all over the country.
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The table is always loaded with delicious food of many different kinds, Naturally. the main course is turkey(a bird native to the Americans).With an array of vegetables and desserts. Pumpkin pie is often served in remembrance of the first settlers. But did you know that eight nations of the world have official Thanksgiving Days? The nations are Argentina and BraZiI. Canada, Japan. Korea, Liberia, Switzerland, and the United States. Worldwide, the values and traditions of Thanksgiving are found in every culture and religion. The Thanksgiving holiday celebrated each November in the United States is a cherished American tradition, but its roots go far back into human history. according to research conducted by The Center for World Thanksgiving at Thanks-Giving Square. ln prehistoric times, the first Americans observed rituals and ceremonies to express gratitude to a higher power for life itself, Throughout history. countries in Asia, including Japan, India, Indonesia, Thailand, and Sri Lanka, have hosted festivals in gratitude for each year’s rice harvest. In Africa, many tribal expressions of gratitude are similar to this ancient prayer: “The year has come around again. great Lord of our land; never can We thank you for your good deeds and all your blessings,” In South America. many of the native Indian cultures contain expressions of gratitude and thanksgiving, and in modern BraZIl a special public day of thanksgiving and prayer has been designated for the fourth Thursday of November every year since 1949. ln the British isles and Europe, the harvest thanksgiving is absented in Protestant and Catholic churches With special altar decorations. ln Belfast, Northern Ireland, land has been set aside to establish a Thanksgiving Square there.
When plans for the square in Belfast Were announced, then Secretary of State Dr, Mo Mowlam Said, “Northern Ireland has known much pain and suffering, Now we are at the beginning of a new era of peace and prosperity. The creation of this place of thanksgiving is symbolic of a better tomorrow for us all,” The board of Belfast’s Thanksgiving Square includes people of all faiths and cultures. but the patron is Myrtle Smyth. a woman intent on spreading the message that Thanksgiving can heal. ln 1999, Smyth attended the Thanksgiving World Assembly all Dallas. Texas. where leaders met to talk about capitalizing on the good things In life That experience encouraged Smyth to continue her quest to establish a Thanksgiving Square in her native Belfast. Funds are being raised, but no buildings have been built. Now have you know more about Thanksgiving Day? l think you have a clear idea about the origin and some customs of the day, BE GOD WITH YOU!!
References
- history.com – History of Thanksgiving
- smithsonianmag.com – What Was on the Menu at the First Thanksgiving?
- nationalgeographic.org – Making Thanksgiving
- britannica.com – Thanksgiving Day
- timeanddate.com – Thanksgiving Day in the United States
- americanhistory.si.edu – The Truth Behind Myths and Charlie Brown’s Thanksgiving
