As we gather with others this Thursday to thank God for our blessings, it brings to my mind a curiosity of how global this concept of Thanksgiving might be. A google search revealed a commonality of harvest and being thankful, but whom to thank was varied:
- Thanks to God
- Thank the Native Americans
- Thanks to the ancestors
- Thank each other
- Thank the goddess of Corn
- Thank the god of vegetation and fertility
- Thank the sun god
My search also revealed a “cousin branch” of countries giving thanks for things other than harvest. Things such as:
- New Years Day
- The moon
- Children
- Invasion
- Famine
Thankful for invasion and famine?! It seems to me that humans have this inherent desire to give thanks and celebrate. How it is done on a national scale is tied to a country’s history, and can get muddied in purpose as time goes on. Different generations give it different meaning.
I believe the Christian meaning of American Thanksgiving, when we thank God for our blessings, is one of the best exports we have. Any chance we get to share it with people from other countries, whether in the USA or when we are in other countries, gives us the opportunity to honor God as we explain our holiday tradition.
If that’s you this year, take a small risk and tell people what Thanksgiving is all about. Then bow your head together in prayer, thanking God for His blessings
Til next week,
Dan
Wonderful to gather around the table with family and friends to give thanks…
And, have fun!
Yes Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.