Friday, November 1, 2013

Give Thanks

Tina here.

Can I just say yay. Halloween is over.


You've taken care of all the beasties and ghoulies and superheroes and princesses and pirates and well, you name it. You've pumped them with chocolate and candies and sent them into the night on a chocolate high. (probably got one yourself)

And some of us have a made a hiding place for the chocolate we skimmed from our children's bags and plan to nibble on throughout the year. (Not me of course) but now is the time to put away our masks and turn our focus to November. To the crisp cool air and the gold, red and burnt orange leaves of autumn (which I don't have in the part of Arizona where I reside) and the pumpkin pies and turkeys of Thanksgiving (not talking about the family here).

Unfortunately, as the years have passed, Thanksgiving has become more a day of shopping and food and football. And a day we gorge ourselves with fine rich food and deal with indigestion and our in-laws or outlaws. Christmas decorations have hogged the shelves at the local stores for weeks.

Thanksgiving decorations have been relegated to a few shelves near the card aisle in most stores, or completely forgotten.


When asked what they're doing for Thanksgiving, some people might even say "What do I have to be thankful for?" Or "I'm going to pork out and party."

What is Thanksgiving all about?

As you know I love short history lessons, so here is one on Thanksgiving.

In 1621, the Pilgrims, (Plymouth Colonists) newly off the Mayflower and having gone through their first brutal winter in the New World, joined with the Wampanoag Indians to share a harvest feast.

That was to be the first Thanksgiving in the colonies.




After that differing states and colonies would celebrate days of thanksgiving.

In 1863 durning the American Civil War, Abraham Lincoln set aside the last Thursday in November and proclaimed it to be Thanksgiving for the whole nation. He was not the first president to proclaim a day of thanksgiving. He was the first to set a specific day aside.

In 1939 Franklin Roosevelt changed it to the 4th Thursday. It's nice to think he did so because the fifth Thursday didn't come every year, but he did so at the request of the National Retail Dry Goods Association who wanted to extend holiday shopping by a week. The Macy's Thanksgiving day parade started in 1924 and was originally the Macy's Christmas Parade, but the 6abc Dunkin' Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade is four years older.

I never knew that. Perhaps the movie Miracle on 34th Street helped make Macy's Parade a household name.


Turkey, Cranberry and Corn were at the first Thanksgiving and are still favorites today. There was also shellfish, fish, deer and other roasted meats.

What no pumpkin pie. hmmm?

It is said Pumpkin Pie made it's debut in 1670. so it's been around awhile. And if you eat too much it will be around a while with you too.

LOL

As I said, the Pilgrims were thankful to make it through a hard winter and for the Indians that helped them. Abraham Lincoln wanted to remind a broken nation to be thankful. George Washington celebrated a day of Thanksgiving after the adoption of the U.S. Constitution, and James Madison did so after the War of 1812. All very momentous occasions and reasons to give thanks.

For myself. Hubby and I just moved into a new home, it's still not quite in the right state, but I will not quibble the Lord gave us a blessings.  Hubby still has a good job, I had four books release this year and there is much more to be thankful for.

It is important to have a day of Thanksgiving and remember all the blessings you've received, but it is good to remember them throughout the year too.

Have you gone through anything this year that has given you a reason to be thankful? Take this month and give thanks every day for just one thing.

9 comments:

  1. Interesting post, Tina. Our church is doing a sermon series called "Thirty Days of Thanksgiving and Praise." I've heard other people say thay had the same idea. Sounds likea God thing to me.

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  2. Interesting post, Tina. Our church is doing a sermon series called "Thirty Days of Thanksgiving and Praise." I've heard other people say thay had the same idea. Sounds likea God thing to me.

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  3. Interesting post, Tina. Our church is doing a sermon series called "Thirty Days of Thanksgiving and Praise." I've heard other people say thay had the same idea. Sounds likea God thing to me.

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  4. Love the post, Tina. Every day I am thankful for everything,the beauty that surrounds me, my wonderful family, good health...the list goes on and on. I am truly blessed and truly thankful.

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  5. Hi Tina,

    With so much bad going on, we sometimes forget to count our blessings. For me my greatest blessing this year is my health has improved. I do not shop on Thanksgiving or the day after.

    I like the idea of the entire community coming together to give thanks to God. Wonder if there are any towns that do this. I know our church has a Thanksgiving meal, but never on Thanksgiving day.

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  6. Lora, it is good to get a reminder to praise, with things as they in tbe country, even more so. You're right, it probably is a God thing. He loves our praise.

    Thank you for sharing
    Blessings

    Tina

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  7. Hi, Melanie,
    That is awesome that you find things to give thanks for. I've been trying to find it in the little things. Clouds and birds, smiles. the love of a family. It's there.

    Sounds to me like you know that.

    thank you for sharing

    :-)

    blessings

    Tina

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  8. Hi Elaine,

    it is hard sometimes to count our blessings. I can imagine it's doubly so when your health isn't up to par. I'm glad you're feeling better.

    I don't know if there is a town that still meets for a day of Thanksgiving meal. That would be interesting. I think that's why Abraham chose a specific day for the nation. I wonder what it would be like if we all really stopped to give thanks instead of getting caught up in all the other pursuits.

    They make it so easy to do the shopping and celebrating for your team. I remember when the stores were closed.

    I always forgot something for dinner... but things worked out okay. people were still fed.

    I used to sit our five kernels of corn at each setting. The kernels suggested how many things of thanks you had to share ( at least to start) I heard somewhere the Puritans did something like that with the corn because it they were down really low once the spring came but they still had some corn. When the kernels were added you saw the thanks grow.

    Thanks for sharing, Elaine.

    blessings

    Tina

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