Thanksgiving reminds us there are reasons to be thankful
Let’s be honest—most of the time, we’re not thankful. Not really. Sure, if we say grace before a meal, we give thanks for our food. But it’s not as if we’re afraid of starving. Not like those poor 102 Pilgrims who, from September 1620, endured the harrowing voyage from England, hoping to find religious freedom and prosperity in Massachusetts Bay only to see half their number starve to death or die from disease within the first year. So, by November 24, 1621 with a good harvest and generous gifts of food from the Wampanoag tribe, they experienced what must have seemed like an astonishing, life-giving feast at that first Thanksgiving. And they were truly thankful.
The important dates in our Thanksgiving holiday are set against the backdrop of tragedy and uncertainty. George Washington declared Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1789, the year he was made our first president and when the country was struggling for survival and independence. That same year, the French Revolution had begun, throwing France and much of Europe into chaos.
On October 3, 1863, at the height of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day to, in his words, “heal the wounds of the nation.” Lincoln’s decision was also partly in response to relentless campaigning by Sarah J. Hale to make Thanksgiving an official holiday. Mrs. Hale was the editor of Codey’s Lady’s Book and the author of the nursery rhyme, “Mary Had a Little Lamb”. That same year, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.
In 1939, America was still in the grip of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. In March, Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia and set his sights on world domination. President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving to the third week in November in an attempt to stimulate retail sales and bring the country back to prosperity. Opponents mocked the move, calling it “Franksgiving.”
Then, in 1941, Roosevelt gave in and, on November 26, moved Thanksgiving back to the fourth Thursday. On December 7, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and the United States entered World War II.
A member of the Pawtuxet tribe named Squanto had taught the Pilgrims how to cultivate corn and other local crops, how to avoid poisonous plants, how to catch fish and make maple syrup. He was instrumental in negotiating an alliance between the settlers and the Wampanoag and made that first Thanksgiving possible. Squanto spoke English because he had been kidnapped by an English sea captain and sold into slavery in England where he escaped and joined an expedition to America and eventually found his way back home. His kindness and generosity to the English pilgrims may have arisen from his appreciation for what it was like to live without friends or liberty.
There is an old military expression, “There are no atheists in foxholes.” Adversity makes us appreciate what really matters. Recently, during a cold snap, our furnace went out. I realize I take the heat for granted—until the house turns cold. Now the furnace is working again and boy am I thankful!