A Day to Give Thanks

I have never really stopped & examined the origins of Thanksgiving. Yes, I know the "story". The pilgrims traverse the Atlantic Ocean on the Mayflower and arrive, proudly displaying belt buckles on their hats and shoes, completely confused by the lay of this new land and the odd crops it reaps. The natives (often referred to as Indians, despite the fact that they are not from India), sensing the foreigners inability to survive without help, stepped in and offered their superior knowledge. In return, the pilgrims shared their abundant crops with the natives. Feasting, laughing, and drinking well into the night.

At least, that's the story we tend to hear. But I wonder, what was it really like?

So, I did what any person equipped with the resources of the milennium would do. The library? no. Asked my older and wiser relatives? no. I went to...wikipedia. The source of all that is true. Because I agree with Michael Scott from The Office.

Here is what I found:

1. In the United States, Thanksgiving Day, always a Thursday, is part of four day long weekend which usually marks a pause in school and college calendars. Many workers (78% in 2007) are given both Thanksgiving and the day after as paid holidays, and others with leave benefits are allowed to take a vacation day.[1] After Thanksgiving Day, the day after is known as the unofficial holiday of Black Friday, the beginning of the traditional Christmas shopping season. Many retailers open very early (typically 5 A.M.) and offer doorbuster deals and loss leaders to draw people to their stores.

So apparently, Thanksgiving is all about the time off from school & work & the shopping frenzy that ensues afterwards. Interesting...my view of the holiday is now forever changed.

2. Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is a traditional North American holiday to give thanks at the conclusion of the harvest season. Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States and on the second Monday of October in Canada.

Okay. I like this definition better. Stems back more to the origins...giving thanks for the harvest. To being provided for. Not giving thanks to massive sales where people mob each other in order to get the "best" deal on the new X-box 360 or something else of material/inconsequential value.

Also, the pilgrims meal with the Native Americans was technically not the first Thanksgiving. The Native Americans had been celebrating the end of the harvest season for many years prior, but this was the first time they shared the celebration with outsiders. AND...horror of horrors...they didn't eat turkey, stuffing, or yams! It was meat upon meat. Deer. Fowl. Rabbit. Whatever they could hunt. And then of course, vegetables. Talk about eye-opening! ;)

Side Note: I just walked into the corner of my cubicle...basically the wall is at shoulder level and the point of the corner jammed into my bicep. I feel the bruise forming as I type. Typical me.