Part of the American tradition is celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday. This annual celebration started way back some four hundred years ago during the American colonies. All these years, I thought that this was just like any other gathering. A day set just for the sake of thanking a bountiful harvest of crops and some other farm products. But things have changed when I heard the real story behind the feast.
On the eve of Thanksgiving Day of last year, a friend of mine was sharing fond memories she had with her family. She told me that the best part of the celebration aside from the best recipes set on the table was the story-telling part. Their grandparents would gather all the family members around and share bits of information as well as personal experiences about Thanksgiving Day.
Her grandfather who was a war veteran shared about the favor of Divine Providence. According to him that in the 1620s, there were about a hundred people who started to question the existing beliefs in the Church of England. Because they wanted to distance themselves from what they consider misguided beliefs, the group sailed the vast waters of the Atlantic Ocean and settled in a place called the “New World” which is now known as the state of Massachusetts. There they started a life away from what they don’t believe in.
Life was also tough for this religious group as they experienced the first winter in the New World. The colony was attacked by certain diseases due to the lack of fresh food since it was already too late to grow crops when they arrived in the place. Half of the group died.
However, the following springtime was another part of history. The Iroquois Indians taught them how to grow several crops including corn (maize) in the unfamiliar soil. Maize was considered then as the colonist’s new food. They also taught them how to hunt as well as fish. And with perseverance and deep faith, a bountiful harvest in autumn was made. The colonists, with the aid of their Indian friends, were able to have a bountiful harvest for a number of crops. As a way of thanking for such blessings, they thought of coming up with a day of celebration.
The first time I heard the story, I was in a state of great awe for such brave people. I totally admired their dependence on the Divine providence which made them victorious in the end. Although I was not able to witness such early feasts my mind seeped through the hardships of my own family and how my parents brought us out from such misfortune. This is something that we really have to be thankful for. This celebration is not just for the sake of any tradition but rather as a way to honor such people who faced the greatest obstacles with great faith.
I remember when my dad prepared a sumptuous meal with the big roasted turkey at the center of the table. I asked what was there to celebrate, and he simply said, “Something to be grateful about.” You see, my parents were both working for a factory when the recession brought them out of there. We were totally dependent on the little garden we had in our backyard. And for almost a year of being jobless, my parents never gave up but rather they kept on praying for strength to move on with life. That was something that I never thought of all these years. The thanksgiving celebration has brought us together believing that we live because of the generosity of a Divine provider.
Every time I came across any conversation about Thanksgiving celebrations, I thought of it as a reminder that like the first religious group who journeyed to an unknown place, I too will never be spared by the uncertainties of life. We must be thankful for the everyday blessings that we receive and not just during Thanksgiving Day.
The descendants of those who journeyed to the New World and millions of people in the United States and Canada celebrate Thanksgiving every year. This is the time for sharing as well as living up to the traditions of our forefathers. The foods we prepare during this big celebration are just symbols of what once strengthened the relationship of two different tribes. That is the reason why even if some of my relatives live far from us, they still make it a point that we can gather for a reunion at an older relative’s house and have a thanksgiving celebration. Others, such as charitable organizations offer the traditional meal to hungry people living in the streets to make them feel that they too are part of the celebration.
There is so much to celebrate about life. We may be facing difficulties and trials in life but that must not stop us to move on. Always remember that the people who were once faced with many obstacles along the journey to the New World made it because of their deep faith in God. Blessings are just around. All we need is to discover them.