The Truth About Thanksgiving

When reflecting on Thanksgiving, images of Native Americans and pilgrims sharing a feast often come to mind. This year, we wanted to dive deeper to uncover the root of that image and the truth of the holiday.

THE DECLARATION

Thanksgiving was officially declared a national holiday by Abraham Lincoln in 1863. This declaration followed several decades of advocacy by a magazine editor named Sarah Hale. Hale believed that America needed a designated national holiday to formalize expressions of gratitude and the spirit of thankfulness. Lincoln, in turn, aimed to use the declaration as a means to unite the nation during the tumultuous Civil War between the North and South. Nevertheless, Thanksgiving was cemented as a national holiday.

THE IMAGE

Hale regularly placed special significance on the meal shared between the pilgrims and Wampanoag tribe back in 1621. She emphasized the image of the tribe and pilgrims to foster the spirit of the holiday (though the tradition of expressing gratitude for a rich harvest and gathering for a communal meal was a widespread global practice before and after that particular event).

THE SPIRIT

Though the relationship between the Wampanoag people and the pilgrims soured, the spirit of being thankful for what we have is what is being celebrated. So, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I find myself expressing gratitude for having food on the table and for the interconnected world we live in. With everything it comes with, the internet serves as a powerful tool for connection and discovery of truth. God bless everyone who reads this and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

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(Looking for a movie to get in the Thanksgiving spirit? Try Soul Food)