Turkeydinners,cranberries,candiedyams,stuffing,mashedpotatoes,pumpkinpieandfamilygatherings?theseareallcommonlyassociatedwithmostAmericans'andCanadians'yearlycelebrationofgivingthanks?ThanksgivingDay!
IntheUnitedStates,ThanksgivingisonthefourthThursdayofNovember.InCanada,itisthesecondMondayinOctober.Onthisholiday,aThanksgivingmealisPparedwithallthetrimmings;familiesgathertogetherandtalk,whileotherswatchagameoraparadefilledwithpilgrims,Indiansandothercolonialfigures.SomefamiliesmayevenhavetheirownyearlyThanksgivingtraditions.
WhatcomestomindwhenyouthinkofThanksgiving?DoyoupictureatimeofthankfulnesstowardsGod?orisitmerelyoneofeating,partyingorwatchingfootball?
Sadly,thelatteriswhatThanksgivinghasbecometomost.Theyhaveforgottenwhythedaywasestablished.Itsmeaninghasslowlydeteriorated,andisnowalmostcompletelylostunderacloudofmediahype,salespitches,marketingtacticsandblitzcommercialism.
WhilemanyarefamiliarwiththetraditionalrePsentationoftheoriginalThanksgiving,itishelpfultoexaminethepurposeforwhichitwasfirstcelebrated.Bydoingthis,theday'smeaningwillbefirmlyestablished.
