There are several myths about Thanksgiving. The biggest myth, in my opinion, is that the first Thanksgiving had nothing to do with religion. In modern America the word “Thanksgiving” has come to refer to having a day off from work so that families can get together and eat traditional foods like turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie and a variety of delicious trimmings. (This year I’ll be even more thankful if the Eagles beat the Cowboys!)
The truth is that the American holiday we call Thanksgiving – and, yes, we are the only country in the world to celebrate it – has a rich and interesting background.
One of the early groups of American settlers were the Pilgrims. They were a small band of Christians who felt that God had called them to America “…for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith…”
They landed at Plymouth Rock on December 11, 1620. Their first winter was a disaster. They arrived weak from the seven weeks it took to cross the Atlantic. The harsh winter contributed to pneumonia and other sicknesses. They began to die. One a day at first, and then on some days two or three. They buried their dead at night, so that the Indians wouldn’t know how few of them still survived. At one point, only seven Pilgrims were strong enough to care for the sick. When spring finally came, only 46 of the original 102 Pilgrims were still alive.
Those survivors managed, though, to plant crops, gather in a successful harvest, and prepare for the coming winter. As a result, their hearts were full of gratitude to God for His help and for their survival. That prompted them to hold a feast in the fall of 1621, which is remembered as our first American Thanksgiving. The Pilgrims invited ninety friendly Wampanoag Indians to celebrate with them, and they commemorated their first harvest with feasting, games, and prayer.
Although it wasn’t until 1863 that Congress officially recognized Thanksgiving as a permanent holiday, that first Thanksgiving has always been remembered as an important event in the history of America. I think our gratefulness is one of the reasons we have been so blessed as a nation.
Notice what our first president, George Washington, said in 1779 about our duty as a nation to God: “Whereas, it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; Whereas, both the houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me ‘to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness!’ Now therefore, I do recommend next, to be devoted by the people of the states to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be, that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country.”
It is my prayer that America will rediscover the joy of honoring our Creator. I believe that before we say, “God bless America,” America needs to learn how to bless God. “Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms” (Psalm 95:2 ).
We can all thank God for the freedom we still have to worship God in America. Christians can also thank the Lord for setting them free from the penalty of their sin: “When you were dead in your transgressions …[Jesus] made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions” (Colossians 2:13).
[If you would like to learn more about the real Thanksgiving story, www.new life.net/thanks01.htm has a very interesting summary.]
Leave A Comment