As we celebrate Thanksgiving this week, we might want to reflect on the origins of that national holiday.
The pilgrims observed what we consider the first Thanksgiving to thank God for the blessings they received during their first year in America.
Why did the pilgrims come to this new land in the first place? The answer to that question has some bearing on our current discussions about whether to accept refugees from other countries.
Just as may be happening with Christmas, the religious aspects of our Thanksgiving holiday may also be fading in the United States with a growing secularization in our society.
That’s why it is important for us as Catholics to reflect upon the religious roots of Thanksgiving and perhaps to bring them up in discussions during our holiday observances at appropriate times.
It might be good for all of us to review facts about the first Thanksgiving. Most of us know that the Pilgrims and Native Americans celebrated the first Thanksgiving in Plymouth Rock in gratitude for a good harvest.
In an attempt to be “inclusive” and not to offend anyone, our society these days seems to be emphasizing the secular nature of our holidays and avoiding any mention of religion.
That’s perhaps why we often see turkeys pictured instead of Pilgrims at Thanksgiving time. That’s why, too, we see the term “holiday” trees used instead of Christmas trees.
