Why Do People Celebrate Thanksgiving?
Why do people celebrate Thanksgiving in the United States? Thanksgiving Day is an important part of American culture. The first Thanksgiving was celebrated at Plymouth by the settlers and was based on traditions that were celebrated when there was a good harvest. This is because it was the first harvest of the new settlers and they were thankful to God for their safe passage and the friendship formed with the Native Americans in the area that they had settled in.
The settlers and their Native American friends contributed to the feast that lasted for several days. They came to be known as Pilgrims and they served a bounty of other dishes that they had either grown or caught in their first year of settlement. Although Thanksgiving was a religious celebration that gave thanks to God for the blessings they received and was already regularly practiced in the places where they came from, the first Thanksgiving was special.
These days, Thanksgiving is celebrated not just by people who thank God for what they have. Far from being a religious celebration, it has also become a national holiday. In the USA it is a red letter day celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. It is a big holiday only beaten by Christmas in popularity when family members make a point of gathering together to celebrate with a Thanksgiving dinner.
Why do people celebrate Thanksgiving when Christmas is so near? Christmas is considered a Christian tradition while Thanksgiving is non-denominational, although it did start as a religious custom. People can celebrate it regardless of their faith, although one part of a Thanksgiving dinner is a round of prayers thanking God for their appreciation for people and their possessions. It is a day when a family can gather together because it is a national holiday.
The reason for Thanksgiving is gratitude. Gratitude for the people who are in our life and for what they mean to us. It is also a time of remembrance for the good things that have happened. This is why it is celebrated not only in the USA but in other countries such as Canada who celebrate it as a thanksgiving for safe passage and a good harvest. Giving thanks for a good harvest, other countries such as India, Croatia, Korea, Australia, United Kingdom and Malaysia also celebrate their own version of Thanksgiving.
Giving thanks is ingrained in the minds and culture of people all around the world. Even though not every Thanksgiving celebration comes with a parade and a turkey dinner, the thought is just the same. It is a day for thanking God for all the blessings that one has received. Why do people celebrate thanksgiving? Is it any wonder?
