Why Thanksgiving is celebrated and what is the true story behind this ?
Why Thanksgiving is celebrated and what is the true story behind this ?
ThanksGiving day is an annual national holiday in the united states and celebrated every year on fourth Thursday of November . On this day harvest and other blessings are being celebrated. Its origin back in the 16th century when the first thanksgiving dinner took place in Texas. This day is basically celebrated to acknowledge the family , friends and the loved ones for their presence and support in their life. On this day people give thanks in their own way and express gratitude for their abundance in their life . People organise small gathering at their place accompanied by food and drinks. Some people call it a thanksgiving dinner. It is a day for giving thanks for perceived blessings. Many Americans attend a local Thanksgiving day parade and these parades are often televised. In 1621, When their labours were rewarded with a bountiful harvest after a year of sickness and scarcity the pilgrims gave thanks to god and celebrated his bounty in the harvest home tradition with feasting and sport. The pilgrims celebrated their first successful harvest in the fall of 1621 by firing guns and cannons in Plymouth , Massachusetts. The noise alarmed ancestors of the contemporary Wampanoag nation who went to investigate. The story behind thanksgiving talks about how english pilgrims and native Americans came together for the first thanksgiving in Plymouth.
In schools we learn that english religion exiles began establishing civilisation in the new world winning over the local tribes with overtures of friendship who then taught them how to grow crops to sustain their burgeoning society from that day forward . The fact is , the peace that brought the Wampanoag and the settlers together at the table wasn’t as solid as we’d like to believe. A lot of bloodshed took place both before and after that first feast. Today many native American and others mark thanksgiving as a solemn day of remembrance instead of celebration.
The Thanksgiving was not a traditional holiday till October 3, 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War, proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday, November 26.
What is thanksgiving day in India and how do they celebrate it?
Thanksgiving day is celebrated all across the globe with full enthusiasm and enjoyment. It conveys the universal feeling of being thankful to lord almighty for his continuous grace . As we know that India is a country that celebrates every festival with its full heart and happiness . Being a multi-cultural country and peoples belief in spirituality, it is known for its ‘unity in Diversity’. Thanksgiving is celebrated in few parts of india , mainly the parts of christian population . It is observed to be celebrated by christians in Goa state of India .
Thanksgiving in India is not common. But it is been observed primarily in the state of Goa. It is celebrated with a different name popularly known as ‘ladainha’ or ‘ ladin ‘ in India. ‘Ladin’ literally mean litany to the virgin Mary.
During the thanksgiving people express their gratitude towards the people they love and be thankful for their presence in their lives.They start preparing for the celebration by purchasing candles , cakes , wine , wheat , gram . They organise small gathering , invites people , serve them with good food and drinks. Many people organise music and dance for the entertainment and to make the day filled with fun and joy.
Mainly this festival is celebrated to be thankful for the grace of god. The celebration associated with the feeling of thanksgiving , is the popular religious feast of conception of mother Mary. It is the time for farmers to cut the first harvest of milk-filed corn from the rice field and offer it to god. This is done to seek god’s blessing for good harvest . Although dates vary in different parts of Goa but generally it is celebrated on 15 of august every year and 15 of august is also celebrated as independence day in India.
To make thanksgiving fun we play games with our loved ones, prepare delicious food , travel to different places with family . All we do is to have fun. But during this era where covid-19 is on its peak , I advise everyone to stay home and stay safe , because the concept of thanksgiving is basically expressing gratitude and praying for them . And by staying home you will definitely help each other and celebrate the best thanksgiving of the year.
Various ways in which you can celebrate it in this pandemic can be:
- Sending across a special thank you card.
- Facilitating volunteer time by providing virtual volunteer opportunities.
- Hosting a silent auction and use this amount to help needy.
- Hosting a feast remotely and have a fun chat virtually.
- Encouraging to post on social media their favourite recipe or a family dinner picture.
There are tons of ways in which you can make this Thanksgiving more interesting.
Have a happy reading
