“A
thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other
virtues.” – Cicero
Every year on the last Thursday of November,
people in Canada and US gather for a day of feasting, football and family.
While this age’s Thanksgiving celebrations would be a far cry from the original
harvest meal of 1621, it continues to be a day for Americans to come together
around the table—albeit with some updates to Pilgrim’s menu.
The original occupants of the ship
‘Mayflower’ left Plymouth in September 1620 with 102 passengers. After
travelling for 66 days they dropped anchor near the tip of Cape Cod. They
stayed aboard the ship to survive the brutal winter despite facing exposure, scurvy
and outbreaks of contagious diseases. Finally they got off the ship and were
welcomed by the Native Americans. Squanto, a member of the Pawtuxet tribe
taught the travelers (Mayflower settlers) how to cultivate corn, extract sap,
catch fish in the rivers and avoid poisonous plants.
In November 1621, a feast was organized to
celebrate the Pilgrims’ first corn harvest. Governor William Bradford invited a
group of the fledgling colony’s Native American allies including the Wampanoag
chief Massasoit. This is now remembered as American’s “first Thanksgiving”!
In 1817, New York became the first of
several states to officially adopt an annual Thanksgiving holiday. Thereafter, each
state celebrated it on a different day. In 1827, Sarah Josepha Hale advocated Thanksgiving
as a national holiday. Hale was the noted magazine editor and prolific writer
credited with the words for “Mary Had a Little Lamb”. In 1863, after 36 years
of strife, Abraham Lincoln finally gave in to Hale’s request in the midst of
the Civil War. It was a proclamation beseeching all Americans to ask God to take
care of all those who had become widows or orphans. It was a plea to aid the mourners
and the people who had suffered in the civil war so that they could unite under
a common banner and treat the wounds of the nation.
And now, after almost four hundred years,
this day is gradually becoming a day for families to get together to feast. The
whole family gathers at the meal and start by saying grace. The meal usually
consists of roasted turkey, pumkin pie, cranberries, mashed potatoes with
gravy, sweet corn, etc.
Thanksgiving Day in India signifies a
bountiful harvest and flourishing of wealth. Though not celebrated with the
same fervor as our western counterparts, it is a holiday that we do understand.
We ought to embrace it as we as Indians have a lot to be thankful for. We are a
part of a family oriented society. Thankfulness is a blessed attitude expressed
towards others. Thanksgiving Day is a day to take a moment and reflect on what
actions can be taken in the next year to fully express the meaning of appreciation.
As we sit down to dinner this Thanksgiving,
spend a few moments giving thanks. Also, lets share with our family and friends
what actions we will take in the next year to fully express the meaning of
Thanksgiving. Let us learn to appreciate what we have in life!
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