Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, but it also seems to be the most forgotten holiday. Before Thanksgiving is even close, retail stores are putting out Christmas decorations. Thanksgiving used to be an important celebrated holiday and we would focus on that before thinking about Christmas. The Thanksgiving holiday is meant to give thanks for our family and friends, but that is not possible when stores are opening on Thanksgiving night and the employees have to go in to work.
People have been looking at Black Friday deals and focusing on what they’re going to get on sale instead of being thankful for what they have during this time. Black Friday has always been a big day, but people are preparing for Black Friday earlier and earlier in the month of November. They are getting their lists together and seem to be forgetting about Thanksgiving.
Some people spend the month of November being thankful for everything that they have. I know that I look forward to Thanksgiving Day because that means I get to see my crazy family.
The first Thanksgiving lasted three days and we can’t even be thankful for one day throughout the year. Looking back on history, the pilgrims would be upset because it was such a big deal. The first "Thanksgiving" was a simple gathering. The pilgrims first celebrated it in 1620. It was a part of their religion. The 53 surviving pilgrims were also celebrating their successful harvest . They didn't celebrate it again until June of 1676. George Washington and Lincoln both tried to get Thanksgiving to be a holiday. It wasn't considered a holiday until 1941 by Congress because they wanted to ensure that all Americans would celebrate a unified Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November every year. Everyone over looks Thanksgiving like it’s another day and nothing special even though we have this amazing history behind Thanksgiving.
The only thing people look forward to is the food at Thanksgiving. Traditional foods include turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, dinner rolls, sweet potatoes, and the most anticipated dessert, pumpkin pie. The food is always good for Thanksgiving, but the history behind Thanksgiving is the most important part about this day. I challenge each of you to take the time and learn about the history behind Thanksgiving. You will realize that Thanksgiving is important and to celebrate it the correct way. I know that I have learned so much already, and can't wait to learn more about Thanksgiving.
