The Evolution of Thanksgiving
In contrast to our generations understanding, Thanksgiving is not about eating a stupendous meal, but is about celebrating peace and unity to people and war through giving thanks. This holiday is viewed as primarily being started by the significant people in history; the beloved president Abraham Lincoln, Sarah Joseph Hale, Roosevelt, and the US Congress. These people painted a picture for what Thanksgiving is really about, symbolizing the true meaning of Thanksgiving. Puritans were also a factor leading to Thanksgiving, who helped our culture learn to celebrate this special day in history with food and so called "holiday cheer".
Although the general idea of Thanksgivings deeper meaning can be misinterpreted, is it commonly known that in the year 1620, the Mayflower brought pilgrims to North America from Plymouth, England. Upon arrival to England, the pilgrims celebrated harvest with a gathering, which is what we now know as Thanksgiving. Despite popular belief, pilgrims did not adventure to England because of a hunger for religious freedom, but to come to establish a religious theocracy, which can technically be viewed as traveling on the Mayflower "against" religious freedom. Along with this misconception that happened in the 1600's, Thanksgiving was not considered an official holiday until the president, Abraham Lincoln, signed off the holiday as an act of thanks for the civil war victory. This further contrasts the ideas of the celebration of safe travels to England to establish religious theocracy, and the gratefulness of the victory of the civil war.
Although the president and traveling pilgrims had a major impact on the development of the holiday, it is believed that the credit for Thanksgiving proclamation should completely be given to a women named Sarah Josepha Hale. Hale was born in New Hampshire, and grew up regularly celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday. In fact, in the year 1827, she published a book with an entire section dedicated to the fall tradition. Hale claimed to believed that Thanksgiving was still not popularly known and celebrated to the North and South, and thought she could ease tension from these areas by raising awareness about her so called wonderful holiday. Through many letters to the president and public writings on the importance of giving thanks during this time of year, in 1854, more than 30 states and US territories celebrated the holiday known as Thanksgiving. During this turn of events, Congress in fact declared several days of thanks in honor of the military services and US territories who were now celebrating the holiday. To lastly fixate the holiday, several years later, Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving up a week due to shopping and Christmas preparations, and further declared Thanksgiving to every year, be the fourth Thursday in November. The holiday has occurred every year at the same time ever since, and is loved by all.
Another misconception of the holiday is not only the meaning behind it, but the food as well. In the first few years of celebrating Thanksgiving, in the eyes of the people known as Puritans, who practiced Puritanism in New England, this holiday was known as a day of prayer. This special day was one where the families could come together, and practice their religion as one unit. During this family gathering, it was common to celebrate with food, which is where it is believed that the idea of eating a meal with your family in Thanksgiving day was not only an idea from the pilgrims, but the puritans as well. This meal conception primarily lead to advertisements and large publications of this meal as years past, making the promotion of the foods the primary focus of the holiday. By the 20th century, ads for turkey resonated rapidly, and today, 22% of turkeys in the US are consumed on Thanksgiving, further demonstrating how well known the holiday is and how this holiday has very much benefited businesses in the food industry over the course of these years. This marketing has shaped rituals of the Thanksgiving holiday, and has unfortunately blinded the people who celebrate this special day with food.
Although this holiday is still widely celebrated and can be considered one of the most wonderful times of the year, its' concepts and traditional meanings have been completely butchered over the past centuries. In contrast to its original meanings of bringing peace to people and war through giving thanks, and celebrating family and safe travels, it is now primarily viewed as a time to advertise food and commerce. This further leads us, the people, who today celebrate this holiday, to forget the important people who allowed the holiday to be here today, such as Abraham Lincoln, Sarah Hale, Roosevelt, the Congress, and the Puritans and Pilgrims, who initially we have to thank for presenting the idea of giving thanks through a wonderful meal. Not only do we now have a misunderstanding of the true meaning of Thanksgiving, but the people of today have forgotten what Thanksgiving is really about.
Here is an image of an advertisement for the Thanksgiving holiday. Rather than advertising the deeper meaning of Thanksgiving such as being thankful or the important people who helped the holiday come to be, the advertisement focuses on the turkey. This further proves how the true conception of Thanksgiving is misunderstood.
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