Haunted America: Thanksgiving Ghosts, Home for the Holidays

It comes as no surprise that November is one of those moths that possesses strong emotional bonds. After all it is the month where families gather all over the United States to celebrate the bountiful harvest presented before them in a tasteful setting that would entice even the most devoted vegetarian to sample a small morsel of the savory brown crusted and juicy, buttery turkey embellishing the center of most tables in America. It is also the month that has the most ghost sightings of past family members attempting to join and communicate with the family that once offered a seat for them to join in on the holiday festivities. Thanksgiving is a time for giving thanks, and even though turkey was probably not the main course served at the first Thanksgiving gathering, it has become a tradition in most households today. Many people all over the world of all religions have claimed to have seen deceased family members visiting on Thanksgiving Day, more so then any other single holiday.

Great memories, laughing, baking, chatting, closeness and family bonds can possibly be held responsible for some of these ghosts who are seeking to rejoin what they once knew as being a big part of their own lives. Ghosts and spirits sometimes have a way of reaching out to those that are still living in an effort to pass on a message to a loved one. They may also just be giving thanks for the love that they received while they existed on the planet as a full bodied entity, complete with a soul and the shell that housed that soul. Deceased ancestors are just as much a part of our family no matter whether they are still existing in the physical form or not, and family gatherings are a normal time to proceed with bringing up fond memories of those that have passed on which can entice even the weakest of entities to show themselves.

Ghosts have the ability to violate the rules of physics in that they do things that are unnaturally possible, or so it would seem. However when you think about all of those times that you questioned a strange noise or experienced a cold spot due to the spirits need to use up energy during the process of manifesting itself. Most people when thinking about revisiting with a deceased loved one might feel that something really special has taken place due to the very nature of things that just shouldn't be. It is that one last chance to convey a message to them that they are loved and missed and it gives us the feeling that they are safe and sound from harm's way. Many people with a more open mind to the paranormal would just assume that the ghost has come home for the holidays, which is more than likely the case.

Thanksgiving is one of those special holidays that have become recognized for bringing people together no matter their age, sex, color, religion or what their beliefs may be. What started out as a mere gathering between Native Americans and pilgrims soon took off into more important directions that just wasn't complete without a humble prayer of thanks and a bountiful meal featuring fresh vegetables, pies, rolls, and of course the fowl. The power of Thanksgiving became so strong that one hundred and sixty eight years later George Washington wrote a Thanksgiving Proclamation that stated the duties 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.

Ghost Story Murder Mystery Leads to the Truth

Thanksgiving stories have a way of becoming part of the family tradition, and one Thanksgiving tale may have solved a 178 year old mystery involving the violent deaths after a cholera epidemic struck and took the lives of several Irish immigrants. The discovery of the murder mystery started out as a story time tradition told yearly by twin brothers Bill and Frank Watson's grandfather. The sad tale involves an area located just 30 miles from Philadelphia known as Duffy's Cut. The ghost story was never taken seriously and was considered somewhat of a local legend of dancing ghosts. However the Pennsylvania Railroad has documents proving that it is anything but fiction. Their grandfather owned the official documents, and eventually they would see their way into the hands of someone who would do a full investigation into the matter.

Many of the town's people had reported past incidences where blue and green ghosts were seen dancing in the mist. During the year of 1909, one of the last reports from a man who witnessed the dancing ghosts claimed that the angry spirits were actually hopping around on the very place that they had died in 1832. When Frank's grandfather passed on he inherited the old railroad papers and he suspected that there were clues in the documents as to where the men were buried. Go to the exact location where it stated that "X" marked the spot, they began excavating the ground. Remnants of the past began showing themselves, and soon more telling evidence became apparent. The men felt they were close to the spot, but that hard science was needed to figure everything out. Tim Bechtel, a geophysicist provided the missing link needed to fulfill their obligation to the deceased immigrants by using Earth scans and drilling techniques.

Clues found at the site concerning the death of the immigrants were starting to look a lot less like a cholera outbreak, and more like murder was the reason for their demise. The group started finding one skull after the other, each one with evidence showing a hard hit to the head. Another skull appeared to have a hole and cracks similar to someone who would have been shot in the head. These immigrants came to America to find their dream, and instead met with anything but. Frank and Bill Watson want to change the outcome by preserving the memory of the hard working men who had died there and they want to get their story into text books so that others can learn the truth about what really happened that fateful day so many years ago. The men are no longer a spooky holiday ghost story, and are now included into the family's Thanksgiving Day prayers.

Thanksgiving Dinner in the Company of Ghosts

Thanksgiving Day at the Lemp Mansion is not only festive; it is unusual in that you get to dine with the ghosts that openly dwell there. The ornate mansion with the decorative Iron Gate serving as protection to the estate was built in 1860 and is known to be actively haunted by a variety of active spirits who appear in the dining area at all hours of the day and evening. The mansion is a ghost hunter magnet that draws in paranormal investigators from all over the world. It is reportedly so active with restless spirits that LIFE magazine listed the Lemp Mansion as "one of the ten most haunted mansions in America. Featured items on the menu are roasted turkey, oyster dressing and pineapple glazed ham. Fresh cranberries, giblet gravy and pumpkin pie complete the festive all-you-can-eat buffet for the sweet price of $24.95. For more information, go to: http://www.lempmansion.com/thanksgiving.html. Paranormal tours are given on Monday evenings. For more information call 314-664-8024. Address: 3322 DeMenil Place, St. Louis, Missouri 63118

A Haunting Holiday Experience at the Blair Mansion

What happens when you combine holiday comfort food, live entertainment, active ghosts and music? You have just nailed home base with a memorable dining experience at a haunted mansion while hitting all of the bells and whistles that a really good Thanksgiving dinner can bring to the table. The Blair Mansion Restaurant in Silver Spring, Maryland is not only elegant; it is quite unique in that the establishment offers special matinees, dinner theaters, apparitions and a fully loaded Thanksgiving Buffet for only $29.95 from 12-5. Dining with the ghosts has never been quite so entertaining, and this year "Death by Turkey" will be a featured show at the mansion from November 4-26, given by America's favorite housewife. Together you will travel through the Golden Age of television while learning some interesting facts and recipes involving Thanksgiving. For more information, go to: http://www.blairmansion.com/

Location: Address: 7711 Eastern Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland 20912. Phone: 301-588-1688

Thanksgiving Facts

The bit of history that we know concerning the very first gathering states that only 5 Pilgrim women survived that first year at the Plymouth settlement, and they were the first ones to cook and prepare the first small celebration meal, in 1621. Many journals have noted that the celebration lasted three long and tiring days.

Seafood lovers will be delighted to know that on the west coast of the United States, Dungeness crab is a common alternate to turkey, as crab season starts in early November.

The Mayflower was heavily stocked with beer as it was the Puritans first choice of drink, and it was probably served with the first Thanksgiving meal as they did not think that it was safe to drink the water.

Thankskilling A Thanksgiving Horror Movie

What if the turkey could fight back? Well in this 2009 Thanksgiving horror flick an evil axe murdering turkey bird gets revenge as he goes around killing random college kids, totally changing the holiday tradition limitations and breaking boundaries as our perception of Thanksgiving is forever marred after viewing this low budget thriller that is good for a laugh if nothing else. Thankskilling is the ultimate low budget Thanksgiving horror flick that just might give you a bad case of indigestion more than it will give you goose bumps. For honest reviews on this holiday gobbler, go to: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1129441/reviews

Sources:

http://www.hauntedamericatours.com/HOLIDAYS/HALLOWEEN/Thanksgiving/

http://articles.cnn.com/2010-08-24/justice/pennsylvania.graves.mystery_1_ghost-story-brothers-tim-bechtel?_s=PM:CRIME

http://purpleslinky.com/trivia/history/strange-facts-about-thanksgiving/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_Festival

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/283565/ghosts_of_st_louis_missouri_the_haunted.html?cat=16

http://americanfolklore.net/folklore/2011/11/thanksgiving_stories.html

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/The-Truth-About-What-Really-prnews-2344237621.html?x=0