Do We Really Understand Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving is here!  To many that means turkey and the trimmings followed the next day by rising early to assault the stores on Black Friday in preparation for Christmas which will be on us very quickly now.  Perhaps we need to stop and think about the history of Thanksgiving and its original intended purpose.  So, let's begin!


I remember the story of the "first" Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims and Indians having a big meal together.  That's all very chummy and fun.  But, it doesn't tell the real story behind the first Thanksgiving.  I read an article today titled "Happy Starvation Day" by John Stossel which talked about the year BEFORE the first Thanksgiving in 1623.  Stossel says "Long before the failure of modern socialism, the earliest European settlers gave us a dramatic demonstration of the fatal flaws of collectivism. Unfortunately, few Americans today know it."  


He goes on to quote excerpts from the diary of Plymouth Governor William Bradford (March 19, 1590 – May 9, 1657) as he details how the Pilgrims almost starved to death the first year under a communal system of living.  It wasn't until they realized they needed to each be responsible for their own piece of land and provide their own food that their yield was abundant which made it possible for the first Thanksgiving in 1623.  


But, Thanksgiving goes back even further according to Wikipedia's Thanksgiving_(United_States) :  In 1619 38 English settlers arrived in Berkeley Hundred about 20 miles from Jamestown. " The group's charter required that the day of arrival be observed yearly as a "day of thanksgiving" to God. On that first day, Captain John Woodleaf held the service of thanksgiving. As quoted from the section of the Charter of Berkeley Hundred specifying the thanksgiving service: "We ordaine that the day of our ships arrival at the place assigned for plantacon in the land of Virginia shall be yearly and perpetually kept holy as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God.""


Moving on . . . As America grew through good and bad times, we continued to give thanks to God.  From the article George Washington: Thank God For The Civil and Religious Liberty Protected by Our Constitution:

By President George Washington

By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation.

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to"recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, A.D. 1789.

(signed George Washington)         


We can see that throughout the history of America, we have always used Thanksgiving to give thanks to our Creator, Almighty God.  Perhaps we need to put the focus on Thanking God each Thanksgiving (and throughout the year) rather than focusing on food, shopping and all the secular things that pull us away from our great Holy God.


Happy Thanksgiving!


Blessings,


Mary