Ah, food, family, and fun. The essence of any reunion, and especially of Thanksgiving, which is right around the corner. But it really wasn't such a ~pure~ holiday as we make it out to be.

In essence, Thanksgiving was the celebration of a successful harvest. And after previously cold, starving, and disease-riddled winter, there was a light of hope with the sight of food on the table, and in amounts for everyone. It was a mark of progress for the Pilgrims, a mark of their ability to survive and even thrive in the new environment of the New World.

But it wasn't meant to be a holiday, or even an annual tradition. After all, now that they knew how to farm, they didn't have to celebrate every harvest, did they? And what about the Native Americans, and the symbol of friendship between the groups of people?

It's true, the Plymouth were especially grateful to the Native American tribe of Wampanoag for aiding them in their knowledge and understanding of farming and survival in the present-day New England area. But their alliance was short-lived and had no real association with the Thanksgivings that were to ensue. Relations between the Wampanoag tribe and the settlers deteriorated, and other tribes were less friendly towards the newcomers, who with greater survival rates, began occupying more and more land. King Phillip's war marked the end of any positive association between the New England tribes and the Plymouth colonists, and as you probably already know, things just went downhill from there.

It's important to remember, however, that the Pilgrims weren't exactly the most friendly, accepting people. Indeed, they left England because they were unhappy that the Anglican church didn't practice Puritanism, the most traditional form of Evangelical Christianity. Heard of the Salem Witch Trials? Well they were right there in Massachusetts, purging those who through only a second-hand account, were deemed to be "witches" and loyal to the "Devil."

All this religious piety was actually at the heart of "thanksgiving", or the days of thanksgiving as it was celebrated after the first year. It was called by a religious leader in response to a divine act of Providence, and the entire day was spent in church. No feasting or fun, although you'd probably spend it with your family.

After the Revolutionary War, Washington announced a national "day of thanks" to celebrate and express gratitude for the fortuitous outcome of the war. With the establishment of more and more states, some form of Thanksgiving was celebrated everywhere, usually on a different day or time. Although derived from a religious background, it became a day of peace for people, a day for love, acceptance, and togetherness. It officially became the national holiday, and is celebrated as seen today when Lincoln declared it on the last day of November in 1863, ironically at the height of the Civil War.

So even though it's beginnings were less than inspiring, Thanksgiving should be viewed as an opportunity to surround yourself with your loved ones, and express gratitude for the incredible life we still have. Yes, this year has been absolutely insane, and my heart goes out to all those who have lost someone due to COVID-19, or aren't able to be with their loved ones this year. But there's always someone in your corner, and that hope will guide us forward into the uncertain future.