Season of thanksgiving

We celebrate to remember the past, sometimes out of reverence, sometimes out of joy, mostly out of traditions that embrace both. Whatever the reason, celebrating involves grateful hearts, generous spirits, and a lot of good things—good people, good food, good fun. For us, November means harvest time, thanksgiving feasts, and more to come with lots of opportunities to thank the God of creation for providing food for another year, a land where freedom and life are valued, and for sending a savior for everyone.

Harvest festivals are as old as mankind. The Pentateuch describes the harvest festivals given to the children of Israel by Jehovah God to acknowledge and thank Him for His constant provision, such as rain, fertility, and protection from enemies. The first English settlers brought these traditions with them. R. Sos at the website thehistoricpresent.com describes it: “In times of trouble, they had fasts, which were sacrifices given for God’s help. In celebration times, they had thanksgivings to thank God for helping them.” Edward Winslow described in his journal what took place:

“…Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted.”

Their guests killed five deer and offered them to the governor. Disease and starvation had touched every family who left England on their ship reducing their number of 102 to 53. The surviving colonists celebrated their first harvest in their new land most thankful to their God for food, their new friends who helped them acclimate, and life itself.

Since then we have come to observe a day of thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November. Our celebration includes everything from parades and brass bands to church services and prayer meetings to dinners in homes and in community centers. Every president since Abraham Lincoln has proclaimed the day a national day of thanks and celebration and it has been observed as a federal holiday since 1941. For President Trump’s 2017 proclamation, go here.

CREDIT:

Pixabay.com

Commons.wikipedia.org