I hate History. It has never been and never will be one of my favorite subjects. However, when it comes to the origins of holidays, I can kinda get behind it (please note the word “kinda”).
So, the origins of Thanksgiving, as I am sure you all know, are centered on two things: unity and harvest.
The unity comes from the Pilgrims and the Native Americans coming together after a harsh winter. The Native Americans were the only reason the Pilgrims survived and the mayor decided to celebrate with a feast. According to History.com (Yes, I had to research Thanksgiving, but this article is a judgment-free zone, so there). The alliance between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag lasted 50 years. The unity between them was worth celebrating.
The Pilgrims had a great harvest because the Wampanoag taught them how to cultivate the land to reap a harvest. The mayor was so grateful for this harvest that he used it to celebrate and share with those who had first shared with him.
Thanksgiving is a holiday of unity and harvest. Today, I am sitting on my couch at home after an eight-hour drive yesterday and skipping classes so that I could be home with my family. We are celebrating a holiday of unity and harvest. My family struggled through this year financially, but we are going to celebrate the harvest God has given us. His mercies are new every day and He is the ultimate provider. I am celebrating that, and I will reap that harvest. We are celebrating unity because we have all been stretched thin and been pulled away from each other in one-way or another. So we celebrate being unified through Christ and as a family, though it is costly in its own way.
I always enjoyed chowing down on my Thanksgiving food and then watching everyone else eat pumpkin pie (I do not partake in that jazz because, ew, that’s nasty). This Thanksgiving means something much more to me because I am celebrating harvest and unity instead of turkey and potatoes. I am thankful that history taught me what to see in this holiday and I will try to make the most of it!
P.S. I am also thankful for History.com.
~That’s all.~