Why
Do We Really Celebrate Thanksgiving?
Many people
think of Thanksgiving as a wonderful time of enjoying a long
weekend,
and eating a great dinner. Or, perhaps they view it as the start
of the Christmas,
"Holiday" season. While these aspects may describe
Thanksgiving
they are not the real meaning behind it.
The American
tradition of Thanksgiving can be traced to the year 1623.
Having gathered
the harvest in November 1623, the governor of the
Plymouth
Colony, William Bradford, proclaimed: "All ye Pilgrims with your
wives and
little ones, do gather at the Meeting House, on the hill... there to
listen to
the pastor, and render Thanksgiving to the Almighty God for all
His blessings."
The pilgrims were to demonstrate their gratitude to God
for their
survival.
They had
undergone terrific hardships in their migration to their new
homes. After
sailing 9 weeks on the open seas, the 102 puritans arrived
in America
on Nov. 9, 1620. That first winter was very difficult and they
were not
really prepared for the hardships they were to endure. It was
difficult
for them to care for the sick because the sick out-numbered those
who were
healthy. By the end of the winter, many lives had been lost. It
has been
estimated that as many as one-half of the pilgrims may have
died. The
years that followed were filled with hard work and uncertainty.
Still, they
were comforted and encouraged by the Lord and were grateful
for His
blessing during those difficult years.
Over 150
years later, On November 1, 1777, by order of Congress, the
first National
Thanksgiving was proclaimed and signed by the President
of the Continental
Congress. The third Thursday of December, 1777 was
designated
"for solemn thanksgiving and praise. That with one heart and
one voice
the good people may express the grateful feelings of their
hearts,
and consecrate themselves to the service of their Divine
Benefactor;...
and their humble and earnest supplication that it may
please God,
through the merits of Jesus Christ, mercifully to forgive and
blot them
(their manifold sins) out of remembrance... That it may please
Him... to
take schools and seminaries of education, so necessary for
cultivating
the principles of true liberty, virtue and piety under His nurturing
hand, and
to prosper the means of religion for the promotion and
enlargement
of that kingdom which consisteth of 'righteousness, peace
and joy
in the Holy Ghost'..."
George Washington
wrote a proclamation in which Thursday, the 19th day
of February,
1795 was set aside as a National Day of Thanksgiving. He
stated that
it is "our duty as a people, with devout reverence and
affectionate
gratitude, to acknowledge our many and great obligations to
lmighty
God, and to implore Him to continue is our duty as a people, with
devout reverence
and affectionate gratitude, to acknowledge our many
and great
obligations to Almighty God, and to implore Him to continue
and confirm
the blessings we experienced..."
On October
3, 1863, Abraham Lincoln and the U.S Congress established
the first
annual National Day of Thanksgiving "on the last Thursday of
November,
as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father
who dwelleth
in the heavens."
So it is
that on Thanksgiving each year, Americans give thanks to God,
acknowledging
His blessings toward us throughout the year. Our gratitude
is not directed
toward our jobs, our successes, our material blessings or
our health;
but rather we give thanks to our God for the grace and mercy
He has granted.
Bible References upon which to reflect:
Psalm 69:30
"I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with
thanksgiving."
Psalm 100:4
"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with
praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name."
Eph. 5:4
"Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse
joking,
which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving."
Phil. 4:6
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by
prayer and
petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to
