It’s hard to believe that it’ll be Thanksgiving a week from now!
On the one hand, it automatically makes me tense thinking about all the tasks involved in preparing for Christmas that Thanksgiving signals.
On the other hand, I love Thanksgiving. I delight in the gathering of family over a shared meal. Even though I don’t normally relish cooking, I truly enjoy organizing this autumn banquet, especially the many dishes prepared from recipes passed down for generations.
Having the holiday set on a Thursday – for students, and many others, the start of a four-day weekend – makes an added bonus. It encourages people to travel, even to shrug off having to put up with traffic, in order to visit with loved ones. Plus, having the feast first let’s us eat the leftovers through the rest of the holiday time.
Beyond all these practical pleasures, however, I really appreciate Thanksgiving as part of our American heritage. Cultures all over the world and throughout history have rejoiced in the harvest, but it’s particularly wonderful that our forebears chose to make merry within the context of giving thanks.
While the original pilgrims offered their thanks to God, I find it appropriate that Thanksgiving has come down to us today, not as a specifically “Christian” holiday, but merely as a recognition of our universal need to express gratitude – regardless of how we choose to define it. It is the ultimate inclusive holiday; you don’t even have to be American to see its value.
Another thing about those first Thanksgiving celebrants – they were not yet making the fuss over Christmas that we do today. Their Thanksgiving didn’t lead off a whole season of festivities with its attendant mixed bag of joy and stress. Since we live in this world, where retailers have started Christmas mania long before next Thursday, I hope that Thanksgiving can give us a moment to pause and seek the correct context for the celebration coming next. The season of giving should be set in motion with gratefulness.
For updates on my book, or more information about me, continue to check back to this blog! I will also be frequently updating my Facebook Author page found here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Katie-Hoyt-McNabb/1473116102939321, as well as my twitter account, @AuthorMcNabb.
4 Responses to Giving Thanks Time