Thanksgiving

[Guest guest]

This Thursday (November 22, 2001) Americans

everywhere will be making their way to grandma’s house with

a pumpkin pie in tow. Thanksgiving is a very

important holiday for Americans, but many of us forget what

the holiday actually means.<br><br>The Pilgrims left

England and made their home in the new land we now call

America. The weather was different from their homeland.

The indigenous foods were different as well. It’s

really no wonder that people were getting sick and

dying. This was a completely different environment.

<br><br>At first, there was a great deal of fighting between

Pilgrims and the Native Americans (Commonly called

Indians, as Christopher Columbus was in search of a faster

route to India and all of its spices when he

accidentally stumbled upon the land we now call America). The

Native Americans, however, stepped forward and offered

to help the Pilgrims farm native crops in exchange

for some of the things they have brought over from

England. This forged at least a working relationship

between the two groups, and after the first harvest they

shared a meal together to celebrate. The Pilgrims were

giving thanks to the Native Americans for their help.

<br><br>Now, Americans generally sit down to a large feast

consisting of turkey (with stuffing!), sweet potatoes,

mashed potatoes, corn, pumpkin pie, apple pie, and

cranberry sauce. These foods are all in season in the later

part of the year, and thus reflect the last of the

year’s harvest. <br><br>This festival is about much more

than food and football. Thanksgiving is a time for

getting together with family and reflecting on the last

year. It is a time for giving thanks for all that we

have, and for being blessed, and for being loved. Sure,

the turkey is great but the holiday’s name says it

all: Thanksgiving. <br><br>I invite you all to give

thanks for something in your life that is great.

<br><br>For more information, please see these websites, or

feel free to email

me:<br><br><a href=http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/thanksgiving/

target=new>http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/thanksgiving/</a><br><a

href=http://wilstar.com/holidays/thanksgv.htm

target=new>http://wilstar.com/holidays/thanksgv.htm</a><br><a

href=http://www.holidays.net/thanksgiving/story.htm

target=new>http://www.holidays.net/thanksgiving/story.htm</a><br><br>Happy

Thanksgiving!