Only Turkeys Celebrate Turkey Day
Monday, November 19, 2007
At the Mecomber household, Thanksgiving is our biggest holiday of the year. It wasn't always that way.
When I was a kid going to public school, we called Thanksgiving Day "Turkey Day." It was a very uncool holiday for us cool youths, but nonetheless we were happy to have a week off from school. I admit that now when I hear Thanksgiving referred to as "Turkey Day," I cringe. I didn't know its importance then; I know now.
Thanksgiving is all about giving, and especially giving something to God: thanks. Perhaps Thanksgiving has lost favor with America because it is not about getting. Tides of consumerism and excessive prosperity in our history have at the same time brought waves of ingratitude. It is funny how hardships, lack, and persecution somehow bring out the gratitude in people. Remember how patriotic and reflective our country became after the September 11 deaths (so much so that the Senate sang "God Bless America" together)? We ought not to reserve gratitude and spiritual reflection for only the tough times, but we do. It does take a concerted effort to be thankful, especially for things you don't see or aren't "in your face" every day.
Thanksgiving isn't about turkeys. It isn't even about Pilgrims or Indians or Quaker hats or buckle-shoes. It is about us and God. It is about having a grateful attitude for the incredible and undeserved blessings we have in this country. I never knew it before, until I became a Christian and started to study our history of this country. I can only marvel, amazed, at the providence and miracles evidenced by story after story in the founding and development of our country.
Thanksgiving is a more religious holiday than any other, except Resurrection Day. Yet Thanksgiving Day is not reserved only for the religious, even. As Jesus said, the Father causes the rain to fall and the sun to shine on the just as well as the unjust. I am very happy to share these wonderful blessings in this wondeful nation with others who don't "believe." But I do not appreciate being taught or hearing that the unbelief of unbelievers has made our country great. We did not make this nation great-- God did it. This is what Thanksgiving is all about, and this is what we celebrate on the great day.
Happy Thanksgiving!
I'm afraid I tend to like the holiday for the food and family but it's good to be reminded that it's more--isn't it?
Yeah, I think it's good to be reminded. Sometimes it is absolutely necessary to be reminded (see Abtaham Lincoln's Thanksgiving Day proclamation).
There is sooo much more to Thanksgiving than what we have been taught to believe. It's like an entire history has been wiped away, and only the shell of the holiday remains.
By the way, I did blog about the story behind Thanksgiving. I tried to make it readable. I called it "The Invisible Holiday"
It's easy to forget in our days of abundance that many of the first white settlers didn't have it easy. They were thankful to survive and worship freely.
I really like the simplicity of the holiday too. It's really nice to just take the time to focus on gratitude and realize just how very deeply we have been blessed. Thank you for such a thoughtful post!
