Turkey Day Special (Part 1/3)

Thanksgiving is the holiday for giving thanks to all our friends, families and relatives. It is the day to thank God for the blessings we have received. It is also the day to meet friends and family.  Don't you find it funny that Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare? They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take 12 minutes. And it's not a coincidence! 

I know you've learned about the history of Thanksgiving in school, but here's a refresher anyway -- in case you've forgotten about them.  In September 1620, 102 brave men and women from Plymouth, England boarded the ship of their dreams called the Mayflower to set sail for the "New World" (which is now called the United States of America).  These men and women were Pilgrims seeking a new home where they can freely practice their faith. Other individuals were lured by the promise of prosperity and land ownership in the New World.  After 66 days of hard travel, they dropped anchor on December 1620, near the tip of Cape Cod - which is far north of their intended destination.  One month later, the Mayflower crossed Massachusetts Bay, where the Pilgrims began the work of establishing a village at Plymouth.

The brutal winter that year killed almost half of their people.  Most of the colonists remained on board the ship, where they suffered from exposure, scurvy and outbreaks of contagious disease.  In March, they received a visit from an English speaking Abenaki Indian welcoming them to the land. Several days after, they met another Native American, named Squanto who taught them about fishing, planting and hunting. 

By autumn of 1621, the colonist had collected enough food to feed the whole community for the following winter. To celebrate the first successful harvest, Governor William Bradford organized a 3 day feast, which is now known as America's first "Thanksgiving".

In 1777, the Continental Congress decreed that all America's 13 colonies celebrate a national day of "Thanksgiving" that year to celebrate their victory from the British at Seratoga. However, by the mid 19th century, many celebrated the holiday, but there was no official day declared to celebrate Thanksgiving.  The author of nursery rhyme, "Mary Had a Little Lamb" - Sarah Josepha Hale persuaded Abraham Lincoln in 1863 to proclaim November 26 as the nation's official day of "Thanksgiving", to be observed the final Thursday in November each year.

In the 1920's, a national football league was born. In order to boost attendance, they devised a concept of Thanksgiving Day Game.

Parades became a turkey day tradition. The Department Stores also saw value in Thanksgiving day, they organize sales as kickoff to Christmas shopping season.

Most of all, Thanksgiving is about family. With modern life moving at a faster pace, Thanksgiving is a day that gives us time to collect our breath, reconnect with our loved ones and to just remember of what we are thankful for.