What Is Thanksgiving And Why Do I Celebrate It?
We have plenty of traditions in my family, but there is one in particular that I love celebrating: Thanksgiving Day. Part of my family is from the United States, so this celebration is deeply rooted in our traditions. In the US this is the first celebration of the winter Holidays, and it starts off the year’s most important sales season. But what is Thanksgiving and why do I celebrate it?
The History
This celebration is not modern; furthermore, historians point to 1621 as the beginning of this custom. At that time, in a place called Plymouth Colony (presently in the state of Massachusetts, USA), a group of settlers arrived at the beginning of the cold winter. They didn’t have what was necessary to face the cold, and food became scarce. This caused illnesses, and some of them died. A group of native Indians came to the Pilgrim’s aid, and taught them how to farm, fish and hunt in the new land. Thanks to them, the settlers obtained a fantastic first harvest.
As a thank you to these friendly Indians who had helped them, the settlers (later known as Pilgrims) decided to celebrate a feast in their honor, where they shared all their food. Year after year, the habit of every family getting together for an appreciation dinner continued, recognizing all the achievements during the previous year. This act indicates the beginning of the Thanksgiving Day celebration. Years later, the fourth Thursday of November was established as a national holiday.
Nowadays, perhaps we really don’t celebrate our gratitude to the native Indians, but more an acknowledgment of all the positive things we have in our lives. At least that’s what it is for me. It is a time to enjoy family and to be grateful for all our blessings.
It is a time to enjoy family and to be grateful for all our blessings.
Why I Celebrate It
We live in a world with many advantages, but there are also many misfortunes. I like to celebrate this day because now I have two small children, and I want to instill in them certain values. Sometimes it’s difficult, in this modern world where they expect everything to happen immediately. They have absolutely everything they might need and often don’t appreciate it (and neither do we adults).
I think this celebration is a good opportunity to show my kids how lucky we are. I want to teach them the importance of family and learn to put feelings into words. Because no matter how bad things are, there is always someone who is worse off than we are. It’s important that they learn that we can do something about it, but it all starts by becoming aware.
Because no matter how bad things are, there is always someone who is worse off than we are. It’s important that they learn that we can do something about it, but it all starts by becoming aware.
Besides, it gives me another opportunity to decorate the house, cook delicious food, set a beautiful table and use pretty things. And you know I love that! 🙂 Fall colors are so warm and inviting, they are wonderful for decorating your home for this holiday. In this other post you have some ideas on how to make fall decorations and DIY crafts.
The Beginning of the Christmas Holiday Season
In the recent years, Thanksgiving has become the day that sets off the Christmas holiday season. The Friday right after Thanksgiving Day is now called Black Friday, when stores offer big discounts and sales to start with the Christmas shopping. And the next Monday, is Cyber Monday, another opportunity to get huge discounts, but this time only in online stores. It’s definitely a good opportunity to take advantage of, especially if you do your Christmas shopping in advance, like me! By the way, if you want some help with Christmas planning, here is a free printable Christmas list that you can use.
What about you? Do you celebrate this day? I would love to hear about your reasons to celebrate Thanksgiving in the comments.
