Thanksgiving is finally here and my mouth is already watering from the thought of a tender, juicy turkey roasting in the oven, decadent deviled eggs lightly sprinkled with paprika, and chunky mashed potatoes prepped for their long awaited swim in a perfectly seasoned gravy. That being said, I think my brain spends more time in the gluttony section than the thankfulness one as I imagine the feast that is always so immaculately laid on my grandmother’s dining room table.
Growing up, I thought that Thanksgiving was celebrated because the Pilgrims showed up in North America, became friends with Squanto, learned how to grow their corn more efficiently by sticking a dead fish with the seed, and then had a party to celebrate their harvest. And I don’t mean to do my elementary school teachers a disservice by saying they taught me incorrectly; but there’s so much more to this holiday than dead fish and corn.
The first year the Pilgrims came to North America, roughly half of the men, women and children died from starvation. I can only imagine the fear and brokenness the pilgrims must have felt as they buried their loved ones. However, the following spring, Squanto, a man from a neighboring tribe, decided to help the pilgrims by showing them how to plant barley and corn. That following harvest, the pilgrims had grown so much food that they wanted to share with the neighboring tribes. They invited the chief of the Wamapanoag tribe to join their autumn feast. Not only did the chief come, but almost 90 other Wamapanoag men came to join the pilgrims. Here’s an excerpt from Encyclopedia Britannica describing the event:
“90 or so Wampanoag made a surprise appearance at the settlement’s gate, doubtlessly unnerving the 50 or so colonists. Nevertheless, over the next few days the two groups socialized without incident. The Wampanoag contributed venison to the feast, which included fowl and probably fish, eels, shellfish, stews, vegetables, and beer.”
The most amazing thing is that two different culture groups came together and celebrated “without incident”. I would also like to point out that the Native Americans brought beer, so I’m sure it was as live as the West Campus parties I hear from my apartment building at two in the morning. All jokes aside, in a world that is marred by ISIS threats, school shootings, political malice, human trafficking, religious differences, and complete brokenness, can we not take just one day to invite our neighbor, despite their differences, and give thanks for all the good that has happened in our world like the pilgrims?
Let us celebrate the beauty of France and its people as they ban together despite the terror exacted on them. Let’s give thanks for the freedom and educational opportunities we have in the U.S. instead seeking revenge on those who decide to inflict fear. Let’s hold hands and sing and laugh and eat and be merry as we surround ourselves with people who have loved and cared for us so well in 2015.