So what is Thanksgiving?

Having grown up in the Middle East and India almost all of my life, the concept of ‘Thanksgiving’ was fairly new and interesting to me when I first heard of it at age 12. There was something about it that appealed to the ‘family’ side of me and made me wish we had that kind of event in Asia. Anyways, enough about my sentiments regarding that. So what is Thanksgiving anyways?

History

Thanksgiving Day was primarily a ‘harvest’ festival that was celebrated for the first time in the 16th century by the early English settlers, as a day of giving ‘thanks’ to God. While the season’s origin goes back to early American and Canadian customs, today Thanksgiving Day is also celebrated by the Netherlands and Grenada as well. While originally, it was primarily identified as a religious festival; today it is largely seen as a secular festival day.

How it is celebrated

Thanksgiving Day is usually celebrated by a large group of people, usually family members, getting together to spend quality time and eat a meal together. Traditions may vary according to which part of the country you’re from but the basic premise remains the same as above. The centre-piece of the meal is usually a large turkey that is stuffed and roasted with other delicacies as ‘accessories’ to it. The meal usually beings with someone praying a prayer of Thanksgiving or gratitude over the meal before commencing to eat. This of course depends on whether the family is religious or not. A typical American thanksgiving meal may consist of the following:-

1.       Large roasted turkey

2.       Stuffing

3.       Mashed potatoes with gravy

4.       Sweet corn

5.       Cranberry sauce

6.       Stuffed potatoes

7.       ‘Fall’ vegetables

8.       Pumpkin pie

Again, depending on which state or part of the country one is from, the meal may vary some but not drastically. Some customs even use chicken or duck in place of the turkey. While other side-dishes may vary some too.

I guess what really appeals to me about Thanksgiving are two things: – Primarily the fact that, as a people, they get together to give ‘thanks’ or be grateful for what they have or have been given. And secondly, how much families prioritize getting together to spend that day with their loved ones. And I think that is what society really needs to acknowledge – not some tradition, but the value of gratitude and fellowship. I wish that eastern countries would take a leaf from their western counterparts and do the same. After all, it’s not like they have nothing to be thankful for.