Thanksgiving-the history, the shopping, and the traditions.

Thanksgiving. The one day a year that anyone and everyones should be grateful or thankful for what they have. Of course, we know that we should be thankful EVERY day of the year. We, as Americans, always have something-may it only be one thing at least to be thankful for-we can truly stand back and think of how thankful we should be that we even live here in America. A place where we are free. Free where we may express ourselves in almost any way possible. Free where we can practice whatever religion we want and not be afraid to hide for the fear of being murdered for such beliefs. Free to do pretty much anything. The right thing, hopefully. But even so, Thanksgiving is the one day out of our American daily lives and American calender where we should all stand back and take the time to really realize what we are thankful for. Where oh where did thanksgivng start and how? Allow me to give you the explanation for this blessed holiday.

The First Thanksgiving holiday was held some many years ago back when the first Pilgrim people from England, landed in what is now known as the New-England states, arrived here and began to settle the early American soil. These English people, called Pilgrims, were basically rebellious of English law and an English king's power, so they decided to sail to a new land on the infamous Mayflower and establish freedom. These English rebels had a dream of being free and establishing a country in which anyone and everyone could be free from monarchy and free to do anything they wanted under a civil moral standard. These people had a vision to see what all they could accomplish and set out with this in mind. Little did they know, they would have to create peace with the then current settlers near Plymouth Rock, the Indians. However, they would become friends and learn the ways of the Red-skinned residents. This was the creation of the first ever Thanksgiving holiday.

Today, Thanksgiving's meaning may have been taken out of context as to what it was originally intended to mean. I think that these Pilgrims and Indians meant to create this holiday in order to forever be reminded that we should be thankful for this amazing American country and that we have soil to stand on so that we could be free. We, as Americans today in our current culture, have used and abused this holiday to mean shopping sales, lots of good food, and getting together to eat and hang out. However not all of the traditions of today have come to mean something terrible. For example, we do have the tradition of the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, a tradition that has been going on for 80 years now. This is a time to just celebrate all we have here in the greatest country on earth. Thanksgiving is a time we must cherish, treasure, and appreciate all we have. America-its soil, its people, and country itself- should be very thankful this Thanksgiving and for as long as we have the freedom and the blessing we do.


*~*~*Ezra 3:11 says..."With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the LORD : 'He is good;his love to Israel endures forever.' And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid."*~*~*