As another Thanksgiving Day rolls around here at Smith Mountain Lake, I find myself pondering this holiday so many of us look forward to with great anticipation.
Most of us know the basic traditional tale of how Thanksgiving originated. To put it Wikipedia style:
The traditional “first Thanksgiving” is the celebration that occurred at the site of Plymouth Plantation in 1621. The Plymouth celebration occurred early in the history of what would become one of the original thirteen colonies that became the United States. This Thanksgiving, modeled after celebrations that were commonplace in contemporary Europe, is generally regarded as America’s first. Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. Thanksgiving dinner is held on this day, usually as a gathering of family members and friends.
But what is Thanksgiving to us today? “Thankfully” it is one of those rare holidays where the family is the priority for many. Because it is a national holiday and most businesses are closed, families are more likely to be together and work put on hold. Because the name is a constant reminder to have a thankful attitude, many families and individuals make a big deal of the sentiment.
Unlike Christmas, it is not nearly so commercial and unlike Easter, it is not overloaded with silliness. Overall Thanksgiving is one of the best days of the year and an excellent time to remind ourselves of all we have been given. We are richly blessed!!