The Pendragon's Hall

Stories like this annoy me. But they grow more common every year. Here it is, once and for all, there is no reason to kowtow to the Indian populations on Thanksgiving because (ready for it?) Thanksgiving has nothing to do with Indians. Thanksgiving has nothing to do with Pilgrims. Thanksgiving has nothing to do with celebrating the Harvest (hence the disparity between Canadian Thanksgiving and our own). The very first Thanksgiving in Plymouth was a solemn day of gratitude in February of 1621 for those who had survived the first winter. There was some kind of celebration after the Harvest came in that Fall, but it was not repeated. Thanksgiving was first and foremost a day for the nation to redirect its priorities towards things eternal. The emphasis placed on it differed from person to person. Presidents Washington, Adams and Madison, all strong Christians, decreed two days of national Thanksgiving throughout their terms in office. Jefferson, the noted Deist, did not and the idea fell into disuse after Madison left office. It was brought back to the forefront by a lady named Sarah Josepha Hale, editor of a woman's magazine in the mid-19th century. Her constant lobbying convinced another strong Christian president, Abraham Lincoln to designate the last Thursday in November (following the precedent set by Washington) as a day of Thanksgiving to God for His protection over the nation. Insofar as this happened in 1863 while the nation was in the midst of its Civil War, it showed great faith on the part of Sarah Hale and all the others who participated. Following Lincoln, celebrating Thanksgiving the last Thursday of every November became a tradition, finally stated in law by Franklin Roosevelt in 1939 (confirmed by Congress two years later). It had nothing to do with Pilgrims at all. The association with Plymouth is shadowy at best, but probably arose when Americans, always interested in origins, searched for the first time a Thanksgiving festival was held on these shores. Plymouth may have been the first, although there is rumor of an earlier one in the Jamestown region in celebration for a safe voyage. That particular community was wiped out by Indian raids. You want to feel sorry for someone? But the image of Pilgrim and Indian has stuck to the detriment of the holiday. It has nothing to do with Plymouth Rock--that was just one of many. The day we celebrate today was the work of determined civilians and a sympathetic President--a day for people to gather and thank God for their blessings. They were not having a particularly good time--Washington decreed a day of Thanksgiving during Valley Forge; Lincoln following the Battle of Gettysburg and FDR on the eve of World War II. They thanked God anyway. The Indians mentioned in the article have the right attitude--I wish more whites were like them. Thanksgiving is a day to celebrate, even when you feel you have nothing to celebrate for, if for nothing else than the very fact that you live and breathe by the grace of God. That is the true story of the holiday. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!