Monday, November 28, 2005
Gobble, gobble.
Please don't call it "Turkey Day."
I don't even really like it when people call the holiday celebrating our declaration of independence "The Fourth of July." To me, that's akin to having a holiday named "The Twelfth of October" to celebrate the traditional discovery of our continent by the modern western world. I suppose it could be worse if people started calling it "Fireworks Day." Granted, these are central to the celebration for a large number of people, but that excludes our other traditions such as having a picnic, going to the beach, waving a flag, or participating in a parade.
For almost a century and a half, we have gathered on the last (until at least 1939) or fourth (since 1941) Thursday in November to return thanks for the abundant blessings of God. These annual celebrations have their history rooted in harvest festivals and feasts celebrated by early settlers and explorers and particularly in the well-documented Thanksgiving held by the colonists at Plymouth in 1621.
We have so much to be thankful for, and this seems to be the one God-focused holiday that is largely unspoiled by consumer trappings. There is no jolly, bearded, red-suited saint to give out gifts or spooky oversized bunny to leave eggs. It is simply a day to spend with your family saying "thanks" to God for everything he has blessed us with.
Sure, he blesses us with turkey. But that doesn't make it "Turkey Day" any more than the tradition of exchanging gifts makes it "Present Day." We probably won't ever call it "Big Dead Tree in the Living Room Day" so let's not make it "Big Dead Bird on the Dining Room Table Day." Fair enough?
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I don't even really like it when people call the holiday celebrating our declaration of independence "The Fourth of July." To me, that's akin to having a holiday named "The Twelfth of October" to celebrate the traditional discovery of our continent by the modern western world. I suppose it could be worse if people started calling it "Fireworks Day." Granted, these are central to the celebration for a large number of people, but that excludes our other traditions such as having a picnic, going to the beach, waving a flag, or participating in a parade.
For almost a century and a half, we have gathered on the last (until at least 1939) or fourth (since 1941) Thursday in November to return thanks for the abundant blessings of God. These annual celebrations have their history rooted in harvest festivals and feasts celebrated by early settlers and explorers and particularly in the well-documented Thanksgiving held by the colonists at Plymouth in 1621.
We have so much to be thankful for, and this seems to be the one God-focused holiday that is largely unspoiled by consumer trappings. There is no jolly, bearded, red-suited saint to give out gifts or spooky oversized bunny to leave eggs. It is simply a day to spend with your family saying "thanks" to God for everything he has blessed us with.
Sure, he blesses us with turkey. But that doesn't make it "Turkey Day" any more than the tradition of exchanging gifts makes it "Present Day." We probably won't ever call it "Big Dead Tree in the Living Room Day" so let's not make it "Big Dead Bird on the Dining Room Table Day." Fair enough?
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Comments:
Im cautious about calling the 25th of december "Christ"mas as well. See www.jasonestock.blogspot.com , december 2004 for more info.
-J>
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-J>
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