Thanksgiving is a particularly American holiday. The word evokes images of football, family reunions, roasted turkey with stuffing, pumpkin pie and, of course, shopping. However, the holiday is much more than that.
In 1609, a group of Puritans fleeing religious persecution in England moved to Holland. They -lived in Holland for a number of years until a group of English investors — the Merchant Adventurers — financed a trip for more than 100 passengers to the New World.
The set sail on Sept. 6, 1820 via the ship Mayflower from England, On Sept. 6, 1620. They arrived in the New World after 65 days and settled in a town called Plymouth in what is now called Massachusetts. The Pilgrims’ first winter was so harsh that fewer than 50 of the group survived the season. Most of the colonists remained on board the ship during that brutal winter, where they suffered from exposure, scurvy, and outbreaks of contagious disease.
In March, the remaining settlers moved ashore, where they received an astonishing visit from an Abenaki Indian who greeted them in English. Several days later, he returned with another Native American, Squanto, a member of the Pawtuxet tribe who had been kidnapped by an English sea captain and sold into slavery before escaping to London and returning to his homeland on an exploratory expedition.
Squanto taught the Pilgrims, weakened by malnutrition and illness, how to cultivate corn, extract sap from maple trees, catch fish in the rivers and avoid poisonous plants. He also helped the settlers forge an alliance with the Wampanoag, a local tribe, which would endure for more than 50 years and tragically remains one of the sole examples of harmony between European colonists and Native Americans.
In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast. It is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. For over two centuries, Thanksgiving was celebrated by individual colonies and states. It wasn’t until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed in 1939 a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each every fourth Thursday of November.
Thanksgiving has always been viewed as an example of the possibility of great respect and cooperation between two different cultures. However, others see it as a symbol of the colonists’ eventual persecution of the American Indians. Sadly, the friendly spirit of the first Thanksgiving and the 50-year period of peace that followed is one exception in a long history of bloodshed between Native American tribes and European settlers.
In 1970, some American Indians began observing a Day of Mourning on Thanksgiving Day to remember the violence and discrimination suffered by their ancestors. The Day of Mourning is observed by gathering at the top of “Coles Hill,” which overlooks Plymouth Rock.
Today, the Thanksgiving celebration has lost a lot of its original historical significance. The holiday now centers mostly on cooking, feasting with family and friends, entertainment and shopping. In fact, many Americans know little about the history, as well as its true meaning.
In essence, Thanksgiving should be considered as an expression of gratitude — for survival, the recognition of a flourishing community and life; and unity. With these in mind, we humbly reflect upon all the gifts (family, friends, health) that saturate our lives. By “giving-thanks” we choose to extend ourselves and share or give to others our time, resources and care.
