Thanksgiving Blessings!
If you have children who are up to a Senior in High School, please have your child(ren)’s caregiver contact Jenny Eversole, Director of LOOP, at 614-582-5139. LOOP would be honored to provide assistance to help make this Christmas special!
Please have the caregiver contact Jenny no later than December 1, 2024.
Thank you!
LOOP
Thanksgiving Origin
There are some very interesting facts about the Thanksgiving origin in America. It is believed that the celebration of Thanksgiving in America was probably originated from the harvest-home ceremonies. These harvest-home ceremonies were originally held in England. During such ceremonies certain days were reserved to thank God for blessing the people with plentiful crops and bountiful harvest.
Therefore later it became a tradition, according to which, even in modern times this holiday takes place late in the Fall Season, after the crops have been collected. Although the form of celebrations of thanksgiving has changed a lot with the time but traditionally still it is the time for serious religious contemplation, church services and prayers. These days the Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in the United States as a family affair, complete with sumptuous dinners and happy reunions and get together.
However the fact about the origin of the Thanksgiving is that the first observance of Thanksgiving in America was entirely religious in nature and it did not involve any form of feasting. It was on 4th December 1619 when a group of 38 English settlers arrived at Berkeley Plantation on the James River…a location, which is now known as Charles City, Virginia. The charter of this group required that the day of their arrival to that place, be observed as a Day of Thanksgiving to God.
On the other hand the first Thanksgiving in the New England area was celebrated in 1621, a little less than a year after the Plymouth colonists had settled in America. The Plymouth colonists were popularly known as the Pilgrims. It is believed that they had set sail from Plymouth, England on a ship called the‘Mayflower’ on September 6, 1620.
Actually the pilgrims were fortune hunters, bound for the resourceful ‘New World’. And the Mayflower was a small ship crowded with men, women and children, besides the sailors on board. Aboard did passengers comprise the ‘separatists’, who called themselves the ‘Saints’, and others, whom the separatists called the ‘Strangers’.
When finally the land was sighted in November following 66 days of a lethal voyage, a meeting was held and an agreement of truce was worked out between the ‘Saints’ and the ‘Strangers’. It was called the ‘Mayflower Compact’. This agreement ensured the equality between the members of these two groups. And then the two groups merged together to be recognized as the ‘Pilgrims’ instead of the ‘Saints’ and the ‘Strangers’. And they elected John Carver as their first governor.
WHY HE CARRIED THE TURKEY
By James Baldwin (this short story is from his book
Fifty Famous People – A Book of Short Stories, 1912 and is in the Public Domain)
In Richmond, Virginia, one Saturday morning, an old man went into the market to buy something. He was dressed plainly, his coat was worn, and his hat was dingy. On his arm he carried a small basket.
“I wish to get a fowl for to-morrow’s dinner,” he said.
The market man showed him a fat turkey, plump and white and ready for roasting.
“Ah! that is just what I want,” said the old man. “My wife will be delighted with it.”
He asked the price and paid for it. The market man wrapped a paper round it and put it in the basket.
Just then a young man stepped up. “I will take one of those turkeys,” he said. He was dressed in fine style and carried a small cane.
“Shall I wrap it up for you?” asked the market man.
“Yes, here is your money,” answered the young gentleman; “and send it to my house at once.”
“I cannot do that,” said the market man. “My errand boy is sick to- day, and there is no one else to send. Besides, it is not our custom to deliver goods.”
“Then how am I to get it home?” asked the young gentleman.
“I suppose you will have to carry it yourself,” said the market man. “It is not heavy.”
“Carry it myself! Who do you think I am? Fancy me carrying a turkey along the street!” said the young gentleman; and he began to grow very angry. The old man who had bought the first turkey was standing quite near. He had heard all that was said.
“Excuse me, sir,” he said; “but may I ask where you live?”
“I live at Number 39, Blank Street,” answered the young gentleman; “and my name is Johnson.”
“Well, that is lucky,” said the old man, smiling. “I happen to be going that way, and I will carry your turkey, if you will allow me.”
“Oh, certainly!” said Mr. Johnson. “Here it is. You may follow me.”
When they reached Mr. Johnson’s house, the old man politely handed him the turkey and turned to go.
“Here, my friend, what shall I pay you?” said the young gentleman.
“Oh, nothing, sir, nothing,” answered the old man. “It was no trouble to me, and you are welcome.”
He bowed and went on. Young Mr. Johnson looked after him and wondered. Then he turned and walked briskly back to the market.
“Who is that polite old gentleman who carried my turkey for me?” he asked of the market man.
“That is John Marshall, Chief Justice of the United States. He is one of the greatest men in our country,” was the answer.
The young gentleman was surprised and ashamed. “Why did he offer to carry my turkey?” he asked.
“He wished to teach you a lesson,” answered the market man.
“What sort of lesson?” “He wished to teach you that no man should feel himself too fine to carry his own packages.”
“Oh, no!” said another man who had seen and heard it all. “Judge Marshall carried the turkey simply because he wished to be kind and obliging. That is his way.”
Positive Inspirational Stories
August and September 2019 – Featured Inspirational Story
Written by Andy Earle
Andy is a researcher who studies parent-teen communication and adolescent risk behaviours
An Inspiring Thanksgiving
Something strange happened when I was 14 years old. Every previous year on Thanksgiving Day I’d woken up early, filled with excitement, unable to wait for the turkey and gravy, stuffing and greens, pumpkin pie with pecans, and my grandma’s famous cheesecake.
But this Thanksgiving, I couldn’t find the magic anymore. For some reason the holiday seemed fake. I suddenly felt like Thanksgiving was a big lie. I saw no reason to celebrate.
As my aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandma started to arrive carrying plates of food, baskets of bread, and pitchers of egg nog, I grew more and more angry and frustrated. None of them were really thankful, I realized. The whole thing was a lie!
When my mom called for everyone to take their seats for dinner, I left. I ran into the guest room where no one would look and collapsed against the futon, crying. I was defiant because I wanted to be an honest person but I was realizing that Thanksgiving was inauthentic. It didn’t feel right to participate.
My mom, worried that I was absent from the table, came to see what was wrong. ‘No one is really thankful!’ I sobbed, ‘They just pretend for one day because that’s what you’re supposed to do!’
My mom sat down next to me on the futon and listened wisely until I was done. Then she nodded. ‘You’re right,’ she told me, ‘it’s fake until you find the truth for yourself.’ She said it was my choice whether to celebrate with them or not. She said Thanksgiving was a time to reflect because we don’t always get to see loved ones and eat a good meal. Then she left.
I didn’t listen to her. I was convinced that every holiday was a hoax and I could never find joy celebrating again. But I was also starving and I had to eat something, so after a few minutes I went back to the dining room.
And I couldn’t believe what I saw.
Waiting for me, with wide smiles, was my entire extended family and a table covered with untouched plates. At first, I was confused. I wondered why no one was digging into their carefully-constructed meals.
That’s when I noticed that everyone was looking at me with concern.
‘Andy,’ my aunt said, ‘We can’t eat without you. It’s your turn.’
Suddenly I realized they wanted me to be a part of the tradition of going around the table and sharing what made us all thankful. I didn’t know what to say. But I had to say something. Finally, I said I was thankful for having a younger brother to teach, play with, and see grow.
The family shared, and everyone had something beautiful to say. Listening, I suddenly understood what my mom meant about needing to come up with my own reason for celebrating. For me, this holiday was a chance to pause and reflect on everything I cared about.
That was worth celebrating.
And with that, I took a huge and satisfying bite of food.
Thanksgiving Day is a very important day in the United States. There are many things that are especially related to the celebrations of Thanksgiving Day. These include Thanksgiving turkey trivia, pilgrims, thanksgiving proclamation, thanksgiving as a national holiday and other things. Some of such facts are mentioned here which will not only help you enhance your knowledge about Thanksgiving Day but also make you enjoy this day with even more zeal.
1. Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November in the United States.
2. Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the second Monday in October in Canada.
3. The Plymouth Pilgrims were the first to celebrate Thanksgiving.
4. The pilgrims arrived in North America in December 1620.
5. The Pilgrims sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to reach North America.
6. The pilgrims sailed on the ship, which was known by the name of ‘Mayflower’.
7. They celebrated the first Thanksgiving Day in the fall of 1621.
8. They celebrated the first Thanksgiving Day at Plymouth, Massachusetts.
9. The drink that the Puritans brought with them in the Mayflower was beer.
10. The Wampanoag Indians were the people who taught the Pilgrims how to cultivate the land.
11. The Pilgrim leader, Governor William Bradford, had organized the first Thanksgiving feast in the year 1621 and invited the neighboring Wampanoag Indians also to the feast.
12. The first Thanksgiving feast was held in the presence of around ninety Wampanoag Indians and the Wampanoag chief, Massasoit, was also invited there.
13. The first Thanksgiving celebration lasted three days.
14. President George Washington issued the first national Thanksgiving Day Proclamation in the year 1789 and again in 1795.
15. The state of New York officially made Thanksgiving Day an annual custom in 1817.
16. Sarah Josepha Hale, an editor with a magazine, started a Thanksgiving campaign in 1827 and it was result of her efforts that in 1863 Thanksgiving was observed as a day for national thanksgiving and prayer.
17. Abraham Lincoln issued a ‘Thanksgiving Proclamation‘ on third October 1863 and officially set aside the last Thursday of November as the national day for Thanksgiving. Whereas earlier the presidents used to make an annual proclamation to specify the day when Thanksgiving was to be held.
18. President Franklin D. Roosevelt restored Thursday before last of November as Thanksgiving Day in the year 1939. He did so to make the Christmas shopping season longer and thus stimulate the economy of the state.
19. Congress passed an official proclamation in 1941 and declared that now onwards Thanksgiving will be observed as a legal holiday on the fourth Thursday of November every year.
20. Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird of the United States. But it was Thomas Jefferson who opposed him. It is believed that Franklin then named the male turkey as ‘tom’ to spite Jefferson.
21. The annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade tradition began in the 1920’s.
22. Californians are the largest consumers of turkey in the United States.
23. When the Pilgrims arrived in North America, the clothing of the Native Americans was made of animal skins (mainly deer skin).
24. On December 11, 1620 the first Pilgrims (or Puritans, as they were initially known) landed at Plymouth Rock.
25. By the fall of 1621 only half of the pilgrims, who had sailed on the Mayflower, survived. The survivors, thankful to be alive, decided to give a thanksgiving feast.
