I love the holidays, especially the major ones Like Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Have you ever considered that Holidays validate the principal of thought creating a desired result? Take Thanksgiving for example. How and where did our Thanksgiving celebration originate?
In 1621, the Wampanoag people and the Pilgrims, a group of English colonists, shared a three-day harvest feast in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The feast celebrated the Pilgrims’ first successful harvest and included turkey, duck, geese, fish, corn, green vegetables, and dried fruits.
In 1827, Sarah Josepha Hale, the author of the nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb”, began a campaign to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday. She sent letters to politicians and published editorials for 36 years, earning her the nickname “Mother of Thanksgiving”.
In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday to be celebrated annually in November. Lincoln’s proclamation asked Americans to pray for those suffering in the Civil War and to “heal the wounds of the nation”.
What did each of these people or peoples think about? What did they want to happen? What was their desired outcome?
Do you think Sarah Josepha Hale the “Mother of Thanksgiving” would be satisfied with the fact that an entire nation stops and says, “Thank You” and expresses Gratitude for the blessings they have been given. Do you think the thoughts and things she did for 36 years were worth it. Have her thoughts and Ideas come to pass?
Do you think the Pilgrims had a desire and saw a need to encourage Gratitude? I am not aware of a record of this, but do you think they might have thought and said it is a good thing to be grateful. Maybe even thought or said “We should do this again”.
What about President Abraham Lincoln? Do you think his thoughts and desires to have a Nation Praying for those suffering in the Civil War and his desire to “heal the wounds of the nation” would be satisfied with a nation of people surrounding the table with heads bowed in solemn gratitude, would be satisfied?
What do you think? Did their thoughts and intents come to pass? You be the judge.
Great history lesson. It is too bad we need a holiday to remind people to be grateful. We are lucky to be here where gratitude is promoted all the time.