Tuesday, November 23, 2010

The True Meaning Of Thanksgiving

In these days of complete chaos and unrest in our Country and the world, let us give thanks to all of our blessings. Although we may feel our future looks bleak, with unity we will survive as our forefathers did. Remember the Pilgrims who came to America, despite all the hardships they endured were thankful for the small but bountiful blessings God gave them. They worked together in unity with themselves and the Native Americans and survived against the odds. 

In 1621 a tiny group of people fled their homeland for Freedom of Religion, they became known as the Pilgrims. Their journey was indeed a wonderful pilgrimage that set the foundation for the Freedom our Country would come to know. 102 brave souls set sail for the Americas, intending to land in Virginia but after surviving storms and being thrown off course landed in Plymouth Mass. They blessed the land and thanked God for their safe arrival. Only 53 people survived the trip and the harsh New England winter.

As spring came around a Native Indian Tribe befriended them and taught them how to fish, garden, extract maple from the trees and other survival techniques. The Pilgrims were so thankful with their first harvest they invited the Wampanoag Tribe to attend a 3 day feast. The Indians brought venison, there was fish, lobster, seal and swan on the menu. More than likely there was no turkey, but an abundance of goose and duck. The early settlers considered any fowl to be turkey. These Early American settlers are generally given credit for celebrating the First Thanksgiving. History shows us there were many days of Thanksgiving celebrated around the world long before the Mayflower landed at Plymouth Rock.

Coronado and 1,500 of his men celebrated a day of Thanksgiving in Palo Duro Canyon, Texas i n 1541. The local Texas Plains Indians were invited to the celebration, I believe buffalo would have been on their menu.

In 1565 Spanish explorer Pedro Menéndez de Avilé landed in St. Augustine, Florida. After holding mass to thank God for their safe arrival invited members of the local Timucua tribe to dinner.
On Del. 4, 1619 reached Berkeley Hundred on the James river in Virginia read a proclamation designating the date as "a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God."

In ancient times Egyptians, Greeks and Romans feasted and paid tributes to their gods after the fall harvest.

Ancient Jews held a harvest festival of Sukkot. Historians tell us that Native Americans held celebrations to commemorate the fall harvest long before the early settlers set foot on the shores of the United States of America.

November 26, 1789 was proclaimed by President George Washington as a national day of thanksgiving and should be one of prayer. Having survived the Revolutionary War there was much to be thankful for.

In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln established an annual, official Thanksgiving Holiday on the last Thursday of November.

During the depression era President Franklin Roosevelt moved the holiday back to the next to last Thursday of November, hoping to spur sales for the nation by giving a longer holiday shopping season. This act came about with mixed responses, (the Republicans refused to change it) in 1941 Roosevelt changed the bill back to the last Thursday in November

Thanksgiving is a day set aside for all of us to remember and be thankful for all we have been given. 
Thank God we still live in a Free Country and we have the opportunity to change the direction our government is taking us.
No matter how small we feel our blessings are we have much to be thankful for. 
The citizens of the USA have not had to flee our homeland because of tyranny or oppression. 
We have never been threatened with mass execution. 
We have never had our property taken away from us. 
We do have the right to vote and pray to the God of our choice.
Although we feel many of our God Given Rights are being stolen from us,
now is the time for unity not division.
Thank you Lord for the Freedom of this Country.
Thank you Lord for all you have given me and this wonderful Country.

Tea Party Deanie

Source

13 comments:

  1. I'm looking forward to enjoying my friends and family this Thanksgiving. Although I never forget what's happening in our country, I'm going to kick back and enjoy the holiday season without listening to all the stupidity that's going on. I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, enjoy the time.

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  2. I find this year very hard to be thankful about anything. I lost my job, my house and a good friend in Afghanistan. I am living day to day and see no future for my bleak life. My friends and family tell me it will get better and I try to be positive. It is very hard for me to be thankful when I can't support my family. This is the first year I have to ask for help to give my son a Christmas present. I have been forced to get food stamps and any aide I can. I see a government who does not care about the citizens of this country. I will be thankful in Jan. when a new congress convenes. Maybe then I will find something to be thankful for.

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  3. It's often hard what lays ahead, u-Dad. But hopefully your future will get brighter. Many of my friends are facing the same things you are. I feel very fortunate that I still have a job. As we give thanks today we must remember what so many families are going through.

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  4. God bless you with his abundance, U-dad, and all others who are going through these tough times. I faced a similar situation back in the disasterous days of the Jimmy Carter(UGH!) administration. I truly identify with your sadness. At that time, Merle Haggard blessed us with his recording of "If We Make It Through December"...everything's going to be allright I know. The lyrics renewed my hope and faith that better days lay ahead. The same is true today...If we make it through December things are going to get better, we will begin the new year with a new Congress and a new approach to solving our national problems. Take heart my friend, you will survive.

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  5. I think hard times help build strength in a person. At the time it seems like we will never get through it but somehow we do. If more people had to work out their problems on their own and not rely on what they were given I think the US would be a better place to live. Good luck to you ...Dad. Our prayers are with you.

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  6. As a teacher of history, your comment was great. If we go back to the realization of what we were built upon, you said it all. When you look at the true meaning of Thanksgiving the Pilgrims endured so many hardships, but the true Americans came through and showed them how to endure what they faced. I
    t is a shame that the Native American Indians taught them so many things and now their great tribes are forgotten.
    It's a moment in history that can never be brought back, but it is also a moment in history that is true.
    Have a Happy Thanksgiving and remember what our ancestors went through. Happy Holidays.

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  7. I had a great Thanksgiving, ate more than I should and will probably pay for that. I've always enjoyed the holidays and look forward to December. I get so tired of seeing stores starting Christmas on Halloween. The commercialization of it all seems to take the true spirit away. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone and lets look forward to Christmas.

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  8. Good Job !!! I appreciate your blog post and Texas Teachers reply. You guys have your hearts in the right spot *

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  9. I did not realize so many Indian tribes were a part of the early settlers and explorers celebrations. What a shame the peace and harmony had to wind up with the destruction of many tribes.
    I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We do have a lot to be thankful for. God Bless You

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  10. I enjoy Thanksgiving, it seems like by the time all the meal is cooked most of the day is gone. Many times I'm too tired to even enjoy the meal until the next day. I enjoyed the post and hope to see more in the future.

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  11. Enjoyed your post, it was very interesting. As usual I ate too much over Thanksgiving and now I will have to pay the price for it by dieting.
    What's even worse, I know Christmas and New Year's is coming up and it will be even worse! LOL

    Happy Thanksgiving

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  12. The schools do not teach the children the real meaning of Thanksgiving anymore, it is very sad. I try to make our holidays have a traditional meaning for them. Thanks for sharing all this information with us, I read it to my children and they couldn't believe the Indians were friends with the pilgrims. I guess I need to work more with them to make them understand what the history of our country is all about.

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  13. How often we forget the meaning of Thanksgiving! Thanks for the reminder of what we had in the past. Every day should be Thanksgiving for every one. I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday.

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