Sharing from the congregation: David Petty
Then on that day David first appointed the singing of praises to the Lord by Asaph and his kindred: O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name, make known his deeds among the peoples — 1 Chronicles 16:7-8
The first Thanksgiving had nothing to do with the pilgrims. American Thanksgiving, in particular, began as a southern holiday and moved westward and northward. The reason why the pilgrims get so much attention is that Yankees wrote most of the history books.
Thanksgiving celebrations occurred in ancient times; the Israelites, early Christians, and other religious groups had them. I don’t know to what extent they were part of Native American life. The first Thanksgiving celebration by Europeans in what is now the U. S. was in St Augustine, FL, in 1565, among Spanish settlers. Other Spanish settlements such as El Paso, TX (1598)) and Santa Fe, NM (about 1610) followed. The first English speaking Thanksgiving was in Virginia in 1619.
The first official United States Thanksgiving was proclaimed by a Virginian, president George Washington, in 1789. Several other presidents proclaimed official Thanksgivings, and by the 1860’s the holiday was almost universal, although it was celebrated on different dates in different states and municipalities. President Lincoln (born in Kentucky!) sought to establish a uniform date by declaring, in 1863, the final Thursday in November as the official date, and that set the stage for our current uniform date (though later moved to the fourth Thursday). The current popularity of turkey probably comes from its use as a feast bird in Lincoln’s time; there is no evidence that the pilgrims had turkey on their first thanksgiving.
The point of all this is not to pick on historians or on New Englanders — or on turkey lovers. The point is that Thanksgiving celebrations, like much else in our country, are characterized by diversity. Turkey for Thanksgiving is great, but so is roast beef, tacos, fried fish, or vegetarian fare. For many of us, there is no such thing as a traditional Thanksgiving.
In 2020 this idea of “nontraditional” Thanksgiving has been, like so many other things, given an additional twist. Because of social distancing, many of us will not be celebrating in large family gatherings. Laurie and I will be having a quiet meal at home (with turkey) — one of the few times we have done this for the holiday in nearly 50 years of marriage. I know that many other families will be doing the same thing. That’s OK. Clearly, the true meaning of Thanksgiving is the one indicated by its name.
So this year, give thanks with turkey or tacos or trout or tofu or whatever you like. Give thanks with a group or individually. But by all means give thanks.
Gracefully submitted,
David Petty