The Celebration of Thanksgiving

This is a reprint of an article from 2007.

This morning I went from reading about the dark history of America's Thanksgiving, to seeing beautiful Thanksgiving sentiments on an e-card that my brother sent me. The contrast between the two meanings of the holiday was striking.

There are several versions of the origins of Thanksgiving in America, including celebrating the small pox decimation of the Wampanoag Indians who were described as barbarians, or holding a victory celebration of the Pequot massacre in 1637, or to Pilgrims and the Wampanoag sharing their harvest together in 1621.

But this celebration has apparently changed meaning for us over time. "Thanksgiving is a time of awareness, of caring and sharing, remembering the best, seeing the beautiful, and being grateful for the fullness of life. Wishing you beautiful moments to share, to enjoy and remember." My brother's e-card illustrates the profound and spiritual attributes we can now attach to the meaning of today.

What was once a time marked with difficult and inhumane moments in U.S. history has evolved into a new kind of remembrance when we honor the sacredness of our families and friends, and gratefulness for the bounty of delicious food provided to us. It can also become a tradition to honor the ways of nature and consciousness of the earth, recognizing how it provides us the abundance of food, water and clean air that allows us freedom from want. And we can allow the memories of the past to guide us toward a new consciousness and better way of being, sharing, and honoring the connections we have with each other.

This work by Linda Sue Anderson of HolisticFuture.com is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.