As we approach Thanksgiving week next week, I encourage you to take a pause in the festivity planning and ask yourself "What does Thanksgiving mean to you? What am I thankful for?"
It's interesting how Thanksgiving came to be for us in America. The way we were taught about Thanksgiving was that it originated as a harvest feast shared between the Wampanoag people and the English colonists, known as Pilgrims, in 1621. The Wampanoag and Pilgrims celebrated the harvest with a three-day feast of wild turkeys, duck, geese, fish, corn, green vegetables, and dried fruits. They also played ball games and sang and danced. The feast took place in Plymouth County, which is now part of Massachusetts.
What I didn't know in researching the origin and story of the first Thanksgiving was that it was/is fiction, based on assumptions created decades and centuries later. We thought the feast with the pilgrims and Wampanoag people was the first time they came together, but I learned that's not the case. The Pilgrims weren't the first Europeans to come into contact with the Wampanoag people.
Some examples of other events that took place throughout those "decades and centuries" that helped form our present-day Thanksgiving are:
In 1623 the Pilgrims held a religious Thanksgiving Day to give thanks for rain after a drought.
In 1578 the first known Thanksgiving service by Europeans in North America was held in Newfoundland.
In the 19th century Sarah Josepha Hale, the editor of Godey's Lady's Book, advocated for establishing Thanksgiving as a national day of gratitude and unity.
In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November.
I personally love that we celebrate Thanksgiving the same time every year. It allows us to center ourselves and re-focus on what's important and why we are preparing for Thanksgiving Day. One main reason for celebrating this Holiday is Gratitude - a time to count blessings, recognize the highs and lows of the year, and express gratitude for the abundance in life. It's also a time for:
Reflection - a time to look back on the year, remember cherished memories, and acknowledge the changes that come with the seasons.
Giving - a time to give back to those less fortunate through donations of food, clothing, and shelter.
Family and friends - a time to gather with family and friends, cast aside differences, and share meals.
Appreciating the comforts of home - a time to enjoy the cozy comforts of home, like fireplaces, sweaters, and steaming mugs.
Paying things forward - a time to pay things forward and make heartfelt expressions of gratitude.
So, whatever and however you do to celebrate Thanksgiving, your DERTY Yoga family wishes you all the love, blessings, and hugs. We are thankful and grateful for you.
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