Thanksgiving Day and the Myths in America

We are all familiar with Thanksgiving Day in the United States (U.S.) and elsewhere in the world. Usually it is a specific day set a side on a yearly basis to give thanks for the good blessings granted to the people and country. In America, thanksgiving is celebrated annually on the fourth Thursday in November. This day was historically set by the U.S. Congress in 1941, after Abraham Lincoln in 1863 had previously declared the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day. And of course, it is currently a national holiday in America. But some "scholars" have highlighted certain misconceptions (or Myths) about the history and significance of this day.

We are admonished to remember that, as far as the first thanksgiving is concerned, the "Pilgrims" of the Plymouth Colony (today's Massachusetts) did share a meal with the 'Wampanoag Indians" in the autumn of 1621, but the full details are uncertain. Whether the Pilgrims sat down with the Indians at tables and eat a big meal of turkey, cornbread, cranberries and pumpkin while dressed in black while the Indians wore feathers, are inaccurate historical information and a myth. The sharing of the meal is correct, but the other information border on mere speculation. College Academic Historians will disagree on this, but the precise truth is still left to be clearly clarified.

Likewise, how the meal mentioned above was served is also disputable. We are informed that the Pilgrims and the Indians did not sit down at tables, bless their food or pass the serving dishes. It is more likely that food was placed on all the flat surfaces that were available at the time - tables, boxes, benches, tree stumps, and such alike. And, the meal was consumed without ceremony over three (3) days, whenever someone was hungry. So it was not merely a single day of thanksgiving. No one, we are told, used plates or eating utensils. In addition, the colonists and the Indians occasionally used their cloths or napkins if their food was hot, but usually they ate with their hands. Most also ate what they liked or whatever dish was closest to them and not everything that was served to them. We are told that the purpose of all this information is to correct what may have been incorrectly taught to some people in elementary school, or otherwise (See Thanksgiving Day Myths at http://hnn.us/articles/1126.html). Also, the Pilgrims did not dress in black and white clothing, wore pointed hats and starched bonnets, and favored buckles on their shoes. They dressed in black on Sundays, but on most days that also included the first Thanksgiving, they dressed in white, beige, black, green and brown. The Indians, most likely, were fully clothed to ward off the chill of autumn in New England.

Another misconception of interest is the point concerning whether thanksgiving was a family holiday. Why? If thanksgiving were about family, the Pilgrims would not have invited the Indians to join them. Thanksgiving was a multicultural community event and not a Pilgrim Family Festival. Neither was it about religion. Again, if this were the case, the Indians would have been excluded base on their disbelief in the Pilgrims Religion. Initially, "Actual Thanksgivings" were religious affairs, as everybody spent the day "praying." See Top 10 Myths About Thanksgiving at http://hnn.us/articles/406.html.

An important Myth has to do with distinguishing between Pilgrims and Puritans. The Pilgrims came over on the "Mayflower" and lived in Plymouth. The Puritans, on the other hand, arrived a decade later and settled in Boston. The Pilgrims welcomed heterogeneous atmosphere. The Puritans came over to America strictly in search of religious freedom - that is, they came over to be able to practice their religion freely (See Top 10 Myths About Thanksgiving at http://hnn.us/articles/406.html). The Puritans did not welcome dissent and considered the Pilgrims incurable utopians. Pilgrims chose a path of Separatism from the "Church of England" because they believed that Church was "corrupt" and "beyond redemption." Unlike the Pilgrims, the Puritans had a hope that the "Church of England" would reform - See Top 10 Myths About Thanksgiving. All of this information is base on the historical origin of the United States coming from British Colonial Rule before Independence in 1776. Who came when and their religion matter since this is interconnected to the origin and celebration of Thanksgiving in America.

A more contemporary diverse view of thanksgiving (not necessarily a misconception) see America's current climate of thanksgiving as merely business frenzied consumerism climaxing in the popular holiday of "Christmas." The creative idea of "purging" Thanksgiving Day without jeopardizing the business commercial aspect has not been invented as yet. Discontent with commercialization of the day has prompted this point of view and others by some people. Further readings on the different opinions are available at Thanksgiving Day…at http://www.midnight-emissary.com. Is there a misunderstanding of the 21st Century new dimensions of celebration? Apparently, some see a reduction in the emphasis on thanks and sharing in a family-neighborly manner, and more on business and more money from people to enhance personal wealth. Is the love of thanksgiving, apparently, slowing dying? Each of us as an individual will need to answer this ourselves.

So Thanksgiving Day in America is still a very special day. There are historical myths that we are admonished to remember and correct as we celebrate the event. Views on how to embrace the day will vary, but most will agree that the emphasis on thankfulness and sharing are still very much alive in America's Thanksgiving Day.