There are many different recollections of the first Thanksgiving in what would become the United States. The legend of the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts is widely known and accepted, but Florida, Maine, Texas, and Virginia have claimed to be the site of the first Thanksgiving long before the Pilgrims arrived in North America.  I was not at the first Thanksgiving in Plymouth in 1621, so I cannot comment on what really happened, but there are many accounts by the English and the Native Americans. 

When the US gained independence, citizens were encouraged to give thanks for the conclusion of the War of Independence and the signing of the US Constitution. Sarah Josepha Hale launched a campaign in 1827 to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln designated the final Thursday in November as a day to remember all the widows, orphans, mourners, and sufferers from the Civil War. Franklin Roosevelt formally established the national holiday in 1941. The idea of giving thanks for a bountiful harvest had apparently faded away.

When I was growing up, Thanksgiving started with a church service to celebrate the harvest and the freedom to practice our religion (Lutheran). My little country church was full of members and their families who had “come home” for the four-day weekend. A large meal of the extended family followed. In my case, it was my dad’s parents and his aunts and uncles who didn’t have children or the kids who hadn’t come home. It was a festive affair with laughter and goodwill. Mom was great cook and we all had our fill. 

As the years went by, the church services disappeared, and the afternoon events included the men watching football games and the women talking in the kitchen. The retail industry realized that there was a sales opportunity with all those people sitting at home when they could be shopping. The shops and malls opened their doors and welcomed those with a day off work. Of course, those working in the shops had to give up at least a portion of the holiday. Many retailers have now decided to stay closed on Thanksgiving and rest up for the next day, Black Friday, when many retailers go from losing money to making a profit

for the year. 

The picture of Thanksgiving has changed over the years, as well. Many families no longer have the large feast with the extended families. In many ways, Thanksgiving is more like a normal Sunday without the church service. In some ways, Thanksgiving has disappeared from the commercial calendar. Retailers tear down their Halloween displays on October 31st and, by November 1st, the Christmas displays are up and the air is filled with Christmas music (actually, some stores start the Christmas season much earlier).

I miss the days of quietly spending time with the family elders and sharing stories. But now, I am one of the elders – how can I share the stories with the family spread across the country? The world has changed and I’m afraid we have lost 

something important.