I don’t know about you, but when
November comes around, all I can seem to think about are the holidays. The
holiday season truly starts off with a great one, Thanksgiving. My mom is going
to make a tasty turkey and, my favorite, green bean casserole. Our whole family
will sit around the dinner table and talk and laugh, between stuffing our faces
with food. Thanksgiving makes my stomach happy and my heart full. So, this
being my first time away from home for longer than two days, I decided to look
a little more into Thanksgiving and what it truly is about. It turns out, there
is so much more to turkey day then, well, turkey.
Thanksgiving is a national holiday
honoring the early settlers and their first harvest. The settlers were a group of English
Protestants who sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to America in order to
separate themselves from The Church of England. After a long travel across the
Atlantic, the group of 101 settlers settled in what is now known as Cape Cod.
When they arrived, they instantly began preparing for the cold weather ahead.
They prepared by gathering anything they could but simply gathering would not
get the new settlers through the winter. Suddenly, they found a group of
supplies already set for winter and decided to take them. Little did they know,
those supplies belonged to the Native American group Wampanoag. After losing
too many supplies, a Wampanoag named Squanto went to the settlers and offered
to help them plant crops if they would stop stealing their supplies. The
settlers later made a formal agreement to work with the Wampanoag and to
protect each other.
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The First Thanksgiving, reproduction of an oil painting by J.L.G. Ferris, early 20th century.
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After the agreement, the settlers
decided to celebrate the success of their harvest thanks to the help of
Squanto. In order to have a great feast, the settlers decided to hunt for meat
to add to the feast. In hearing the gunshots, the Wampanoag feared the settlers
were turning against them. They decided to visit the settlers and make sure they
were not in danger of entering war. When they visited, the Native Americans saw
the settlers were hunting for a feast, so, they decided to help! Thanks to the
hard work of both the settlers and Native Americans, they feasted and
celebrated together for three whole days. They took their celebration as a time
to enjoy the grand harvest and thank each other for all of the help they
provided. Thus, this was the very first Thanksgiving celebration.
So, this Thanksgiving I am going to
challenge you all. As you are home for the holiday, look around. Take the time
away from school or work to notice all of the things you have to be grateful
for. Remember why you love the ones you hold closest to your heart. But, beyond
reflection, share what you are thankful for. Here at Femi Memorial Outreach, we
have much to be thankful for. We are thankful for the opportunity to partner
with schools and tutor students with the support of our donor. The staff is
very thankful to attend a university and interact with the community around
them.
Thanksgiving is a time to recognize
all you are thankful for, whether it is your family, friends, shelter, or health.
I challenge you to put all of your thanks into words and share them with the people
around you.
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| McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade, Chicago. |
If you accept this challenge, tell
us about it! Leave a comment about how your Thanksgiving was and how you
decided to show your thankfulness.
