Here is a thought or 2 about Thanksgiving:
From what I understand, Jamestown, Virginia is a much earlier settlement than Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts, but after the Civil War northerners decided to rewrite history slightly with a story that favored northerners as more heroic than southerners and that is how the holiday was born. Also from what I understand, up to 90 percent of the native populations of the western hemisphere died of disease or war or slavery within 100 years of European exploration.
Much of American history is about about expansion and hard working settlers, but you could see it as coming at the expense of the millions of people who were already here.
It is also true that Americans will now spend millions of dollars shopping on Thanksgiving weekend (I hope a few bucks will be spent on my pottery, ahem) BUT
here is my point.
Thanksgiving should truly be about being thankful and being together. Please think about people who have had a tough year and go one step further and try to make somebody else thankful. I am gonna think about what I can do, I hope you will too.
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You make some good points about the origin of the holiday. I like the idea of finding a way to make someone else thankful. Many communities have dinners for homeless people or organizations were a family can be "adopted" for the holidays, we all hear of opportunities to donate toys, coats, blankets, etc. It would be great if more of us could consider others who are struggling right now.
ReplyDeleteThanks and have a wonderful Thanksgiving/
You are so right ON with this.
ReplyDeleteps. I knew those 'northerners' were trying to make us look bad. :)
Kidding.
Happy Thanksgiving, Suz
I have a beef that Thanksgiving is a purely US invention. It is not. In almost every European nation, there is some sort of "Thanksgiving" festival (for the harvest, for the year, whatever) and it is just hyped as something the white settlers "started" because they were so grateful for having survived at all. It'd already been part of western cultures for centuries. The Germans, I know have an "Erntedankfest" sometime in October I think.
ReplyDeleteOf course, I loved how Charlie Brown served jelly beans and toast for Thanksgiving....
ReplyDeleteI had some of the same thoughts as I got up this morning with my plans for today so others less fortunate aren't forgotten; I hate crowds and shopping. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
ReplyDeleteWell said Mr. Rith.
ReplyDeleteAnd as Tiny Tim would say, "God bless us everyone."
PS--- you got to have beers with JIM! Lucky you. I am green!
ReplyDeleteBest to the Misses!
M
Our family has always tried to steer away from the traditional approach (aside from the food!) and we invite those who don't have family up here to dinner, take turns sharing what we are thankful for, watch Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving, and generally celebrate our family and friendships. Oh, and we take a few turns on the mountain!
ReplyDeleteYou guys sure leave yours until the last minute. We had our turkey day a month ago. ;-)
ReplyDeleteNice post Gary, I think I might have thanksgiving myself this weekend, for my own things to be thankful for and I'll watch out for someone to do something for too as you suggest :)
ReplyDeletePeople spend all year being thankful for me! I'm pretty sure...
ReplyDeleteLovely sentiment. I hope that you and yours have a wonderful holiday.
ReplyDeleteAnd there but for the grace of God, go I...eh?
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving.
And there, but for the grace of God, go I...eh?
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving!