Meaning of Thanksgiving
“Thanksgiving is a word that appears before the word Thanksgiving Day and after thanksgiver in the Mirriam-Webster Dictionary online. One of the definitions of the word is ‘a prayer expressing gratitude’. The first use of the word dates all the way back to 1533 . The Old English word from which it is derived is “pancian” (to give thanks) .
And also from What Christians Want to Know, a prayer for America as we strive to regain our freedoms.
We Give Thanks
Our Father in Heaven,
We give thanks for the pleasure
Of gathering together for this occasion.
We give thanks for this food
Prepared by loving hands.
We give thanks for life,
The freedom to enjoy it all
And all other blessings.
As we partake of this food,
We pray for health and strength
To carry on and try to live as
You would have us.
This we ask in the name of Christ,
Our Heavenly Father.
– Harry Jewell
From our Presidents Washington and Eisenhower
In 1789, George Washington issued the first presidential Thanksgiving proclamation. After Washington’s first proclamation, the practice was rarely followed and, between 1815 and 1861, there were no Thanksgiving proclamations issued. In 1863, in an effort to remind citizens of a war-torn nation of their blessings, Abraham Lincoln restarted the practice of issuing an annual Thanksgiving proclamations. Every president since has followed the tradition.George Washington’s Thanksgiving Day proclamation can be read here and Dwight D. Eisenhower’s here.
Honoring Native American Traditions
Today and every day we honor Native Americans and their traditions. Below are links we found that spotlight Native American Thanksgiving celebrations.
Giving thanks: Native Americans kids share heritage at Thanksgiving by the Sioux City Journal
” ‘So many Native American traditions are experienced during holiday family gatherings,’ ” says Tonya Meier, a social worker who organized Native Youth Standing Strong with her probation officer husband Will Meier more than four years ago, explains. ” ‘Older family members want to share how they grew up with the next generation.’ ”
The Sioux City Journal shares Holly and Megan’s stories. “Holly and Megan are both members of Native Youth Standing Strong, an organization of nearly 40 mostly Native American teens who are learning about traditions through crafts, field trips, sweat lodges and music.”
According to their website, the mission of the Native Youth Standing Strong in the Tri-State areas of Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota “weekly gathering is to support the Native Youth in our community by coming together in order to celebrate the success of the Native Youth Standing Strong Program and to collaborate on building a positive and healthy future for our Native young people.” Learn more about Native Youth Standing Strong here, LIKE their FaceBook page.
Native Americans, members of Kingston-area Christian congregations join for Thanksgiving unity worship service covered by the Daily Freeman News. “As part of the year-long celebration of the 400th anniversary of the Two Row Wampum Treaty signed between the early Dutch settlers and the native peoples of the land, members of the Powhatan Nation and the Association of Native Americas of the Hudson Valley joined with the congregations of the Old Dutch Church, the Fair Street Reformed Church, the Church of the Comforter and the St. Remy Reformed Church for a Thanksgiving unity worship service.”
Thank our Troops
Texans certainly knows how to thank the junior US Senator from Texas!
Watch this great ad by the Conservative Campaign Committee thanking Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz @TedCruz) for standing up for the American people against the #ObamaCare scheme, #Trainwreck, #Nightmare. Then tweet it, FaceBook it, email it and share it with your entire family. Senator Cruz is correct, the power is with “We The People”.
And this reminder from Senator Cruz
Top 5 Family Thanksgiving Traditions from About.com/Genealogy
Reordered just a bit, these top 5 Thanksgiving traditions seem to sum up our Day of Thanks.
“Thanksgiving is about giving thanks for the people and blessings of the past year. From pre-meal prayers to providing holiday meals to the homeless, the holiday is truly a celebration of praise and thanksgiving.”
Turkey and Trimmings
“From the first Thanksgiving to today’s turkey burgers, turkeys are an American tradition dating back centuries. According to the National Turkey Federation, 95 percent of Americans eat turkey at Thanksgiving. Regional twists offer variations on the traditional roasted bird, including coffee rubbed turkey from Hawaii, salt encrusted turkey from New England, and deep fried turkey from the South.”
The Wishbone Tug
“Does your family fight over the wishbone from the Thanksgiving turkey? Known as a ‘lucky break’ the tradition of tugging on either end of a fowl’s bone to win the larger piece and its accompanying ‘wish’ dates back to the Etruscans of 322 B.C. The Romans brought the tradition with them when they conquered England and the English colonists carried the tradition on to America.”
Nothing Quite Like Football
“Throughout the United States, football on Thanksgiving Day is as big a part of the celebration as turkey and pumpkin pie. Dating back to the first intercollegiate football championship held on Thanksgiving Day in 1876, traditional holiday football rivalries have become so popular that a reporter once called Thanksgiving ” ‘a holiday granted by the State and the Nation to see a game of football.’ ”
94 Years of Thanksgiving Day Parades
What would Thanksgiving Day be without the Macy’s Day parade. “The first American Thanksgiving Day parade was held in 1920, organized by Gimbel’s Department Store in Philadelphia, not Macy’s as most people believe. The NYC Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade tradition actually began in 1924, and has grown into an annual event of balloons, bands, and floats, enjoyed by more than 46 million people each year in person and on TV.”
Our Personal Notes of Thanks
On a personal note, I spend Thanksgiving Day giving thanks to my parents, remembering the good times and our struggles that have formulated me into the patriotic American that I am. When we find the opportunity within a struggle, we become stronger. Today, please thank your parents, your siblings, your extended family and close friends whether in person or in prayer. @Orangeone4
As for the rest of the 4Corners team:
Ann Winthrop gives thanks to God for her ancestors passing on more than 400 years of instinct to know liberty when she sees it. @winthrop_ann
Lu Esposito gives thanks to God for family, friends, pets, a good life, and knowledge that no matter how bad things get, they can get better. Hey, we lived through the 70’s. @luesposito