The Real Meaning of Thanksgiving

I did a Google search on what the real meaning of our American holiday of Thanksgiving is, and depending on the wording, came up with between 271,000 and 494,000 results.

It's interesting to me that there are so many different ideas about such an historical event. And, especially, that so many people are wanting us to believe that it has nothing whatsoever to do with God. Some even go on to say that the Pilgrims viciously attacked the Indians.

Talk about re-writing history.

I am going to do something a little differently today and quote Newt Gingrich extensively, because he says it so very well. He says that "the first Thanksgiving celebration in America was a completely religious observance that didn’t include a feast." So much for turkey and stuffing!

"It occurred in 1619 — more than a year before the Pilgrims arrived from Massachusetts. A group of 38 English settlers arrived in Virginia and set aside a day to give thanks to God for their safe passage. The three-day festival of food and friendship that was the origin of Thanksgiving as we know it today didn’t occur until 1621.

Ever since, Thanksgiving has been a time for Americans not just to celebrate privately in our homes but to give public thanks to God — and not just for our material blessings but for our freedom. Our earliest Thanksgivings were in times when that freedom was at its most vulnerable.

In 1789, George Washington issued a proclamation calling for a day of “public thanksgiving and prayer” — a day for Americans to acknowledge “the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."

But Washington didn’t just say that individual Americans should thank God. He proclaimed that nations — especially the one-year-old United States of America — have obligations to God as well. He wrote, “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.”

But it wasn’t until more than 70 years later — at a time when America faced its greatest crisis — that Thanksgiving became a yearly celebration.

The Civil War was raging. Three months earlier, the Battle of Gettysburg had left 50,000 Americans killed, wounded or missing. Riots were tearing apart American cities.

In the midst of this chaos, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed in October 1863 that the last Thursday of November should henceforth be set aside as a day of thanksgiving."

End of long but very informative quote.

It is my favorite holiday because it is the only holiday in our country, to my knowledge, that isn't based on some pagan celebration that the Roman Catholic Church pasted over to try to keep people from participating in.

I like to set aside a special time each Thanksgiving and thank God for all of His many blessings over the past year. They are so many!

The stores may not make as much money over the Thanksgiving holiday, and some stores (like Lowe's) skip it entirely and are already in full Christmas regalia. I understand the economics here, but still, it seems a shame to me.

Hope this little glimpse into history was helpful.

Phyllis Towse