What Is Thanksgiving?

So, what is Thanksgiving? Is it a time for family, friends, and football? Yes, it is. However, it can be a lot more than that. What does Thanksgiving mean to you?

Thanksgiving Can Be a Time to:

To express gratitude for the people and things in your life. You can reflect on the kindness you’ve received and how you can respond to those blessings.
To give back to those in need by donating food, clothing, or shelter.
Spend time with family and friends and remember loved ones who are no longer with you.
For all of us to learn about kindness and empathy from those around us.
To reflect on all you have to be grateful for.
It is a time for loved ones to come together and share a meal, embracing the bonds and connections among family and friends.
To reflect on and express appreciation for the positive influences in our lives, embodying the spirit of thankfulness.

The Tradition of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving traditionally celebrates the harvest of the past year. It’s celebrated in the United States, Canada, and other countries. The modern holiday is largely based on the 1621 feast shared between the Wampanoag people and the English colonists, also known as the Pilgrims, in Plymouth, Massachusetts. However, there are examples of harvest festivals before 1621. The Wampanoag helped the Pilgrims survive their first winter and grow crops.

Thanksgiving has evolved over time and is now celebrated as a secular holiday in addition to its religious and cultural roots.

It’s a day to spend time with family and friends, eat good food, and watch football. The traditional Thanksgiving meal includes turkey, stuffing, potatoes, cranberries, and pumpkin pie.

Sarah Hale, a writer for Godey’s Ladies Book, played a key role in establishing Thanksgiving as a national holiday. She advocated for the holiday in her magazine and appealed to presidents, including Abraham Lincoln, who made it a national holiday in 1863.

So, What Does Thanksgiving Mean to You?

For me, it’s a time to reflect on the good in my life: my wife, my children, my grandchildren, and our cats. My wife and I donate to charities in each other’s names. Thanksgiving is when we share the organizations we each wish to support. For us, it puts things in perspective. It’s easy to get caught up in truly insignificant problems. Contemplating those in need helps put this in perspective.

I asked friends on Facebook what Thanksgivng meant to them. Here’s what a few had to say.

Peaceful day and gratitude expressing.
Pain, lots of pain.
A day of mixed emotions between happy and sad.
A time to reflect on all I have and be grateful for.
I feel like I am in an almost perpetual state of gratitude and meditation. Thanksgiving means to me, taking time out of our busy schedules to spend quality time with our loved ones and family. I am truly grateful to have this opportunity when it presents itself.
I feel about the same brother. These last few years are definitely different, not getting the whole family together to celebrate our blessings.
We could start doing this again,,,,, let’s talk about it. I mean we have a full weekend after Thanksgiving to find time. Even if it’s just a smaller group. Feeling the need myself.
A day of mixed emotions, the holidays are a rough time for me..lost my Dad on December 28th and my youngest daughter on November 30th..I try hard not to dwell on it though..just thankful to be alive,