Modern History
Thanksgiving Day is this Thursday, we will all gather together with our families and friends to celebrate this American Holiday.
Over 45 million turkeys will be consumed, kids will get up early to watch the Macy’s Day Thanksgiving Parade, The Detroit Lions will play football and many will get ready to go shopping on Black Friday.
Traditions
The first football game was broadcast in 1934. It started in Detroit with the Detroit Lions and continues till this day. Even though we are far from the better teams and haven’t been for years, it is the tradition.
The Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade began in 1924, a kick off to the Christmas season. Now most of the stores offer shopping deals for early birds commonly known as Black Friday.
Our History
However, our history of this great American Holiday gets its roots, in the history of the founding or our Nation.
In 1621 the first Thanksgiving occurred after the long, cold winter of 1620 when over half of the Colonist died. Making friends with the Native American Indian tribe, the Wampanoag who taught them how to plant and fish. The harvest was so large they came together and shared their bounty.
After that in the fall of each year each colony came together and set aside their own days to celebrate Thanksgiving. It was much longer than a day usually 3 days. It was also set aside as a religious holiday to set aside time to be grateful to God with fasting and prayers.
In 1777 the Continental Congress set aside a day to thank God for the blessing of the Liberty.
In 1863 Sarah Josepha Hale, (Mary Had a Little Lamb) began a one-woman letter writing campaign to set aside a day of Thanksgiving for our Nation. At the time, Sarah’s thoughts were:
"There is a deep moral influence in these periodical seasons of rejoicing, in which whole communities participate. They bring out . . . the best sympathies in our natures."
"If every state would join in Union Thanksgiving on the 24th of this month, would it not be a renewed pledge of love and loyalty to the Constitution of the United States?"
Abraham Lincoln finally proclaimed a Day of Thanksgiving for the fourth Tuesday of November. However, back then we didn’t have computers and each of the thousands of letters spanned over 4 decades and 5 Presidents were hand written.
Thanksgiving Day was changed in November 1941 to the last Thursday in November by Franklin Roosevelt (to extend the Christmas shopping season and boost the economy)
Today
Today we face some of the biggest challenges our nation has ever endured, there are people losing their homes, unemployment is high, (15% in Michigan) a National debt that we are leaving to our children and grandchildren, and yet we keep spending.
Since when do we spend our way out of debt? I know my family doesn’t, we cut back. That is common sense. Yet our legislature continues to spend…but it is not our money, we don’t have any. So we borrow and become more in debt to China.
I hate politics.
I hate buying of votes.
I hate earmarks for things that benefit one state and yet we all pay for.
I hate changing of words to mean one thing when they really mean another.
Heck I hate all of this worse than loosing to Ohio State.
Like Sarah Hale, I would like to call for all the Senators and Congressman and everyday citizens to renew their pledge of love and loyalty to the Constitution of the United States?"
Read the constitution it is only 6 pages long including the Bill of Rights.
Lets return to the documents that gave us Liberty. They clearly outlined our God given rights and the limited responsibilities of our federal government.
Somehow during the pumpkin pie, shopping,parades and football we can set aside a time to remember them, read them and be thankful.
****Thank you to all my subscribers who follow my blog on Activerain. I am so THANKFUL for you and never take for granted your friendship.***
Parts originally posted on AgentGenius.
Missy Caulk & Team can be reached at 734-926-9797 or email: Missy@MissyCaulk.com
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Missy I hope you and ther family have a great Thanksgiving. Of course I can't to do nothing but eat and watch football all day:)
Missy - Wonderful post and Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
Hey Missy, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Food, Beer ,& Football
Congratulations this post is now featured in Silent Majority of Active Rain.
Missy, Thanks for reminding us that Thanksgiving is a day to count your blessings and give thanks.
It is also a day to re-new our commitments within our family, to do all in our power to preserve this great country founded in strife and struggle. We should unite to celebrate those 6 powerful pages, that bestoy upon us the freedoms that we value.
Missy, this is a great blog! Thank you for this history of Thanksgiving. I appreciate you and how you share so freely with us here at Active Rain.
Beautiful post, Missy. Sometimes it does seem like our country has gotten way off the mark. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Missy, great post, Thanksgiving is my all time favorite, no commercialism, just family, food and football. what more does one need
Hi Missy,
I'm thankful you're in the world and that I know you! A very Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours....
Wonderfully written and informative post...
((-;
Jo
Missy...I look forward to reading all of your blogs.....they're always written with fresh ideas and they are always very entertaining.....Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
Well done... just like that bird will be tomorrow! Uuuummmm! This is my most favorite holiday and I believe the most critical to the lifeblood of our nation. We must always take time to thank our Creator for what He has done for us.
And sorry about this in advance but... GO PACKERS!
Missy,
Despite every thing, there is a cornucopia of things to be thankful for!
Happy Thanks Giving!
Bill
Missy, Missy, Missy............ I am so glad to be able to comment on your blog.....
I do not take advantage of any of the people who follow my blog either.. they
are special and they brighten my day...
Happy Thanksgiving, lady!!
=-)
Happy Thanksgiving Missy, Happy Thanksgiving Alex - Have a wonderful day of being thankful for all God's blessings.
Missy,
You must have been a history teacher in a previous life because you always treat us to a wonderful lesson for the different holidays we celebrate.
We are grateful to you as well.
Missy, Many blessings to you and your family. Have a Happy Thanksgiving.
Wonderful post Missy and I too think about the hardships of many people, especially at this time. I am always thankful for what I have and never focus on what I'm missing. I wish you and your family a Wonderful Thanksgiving!
Thank you for that great summary of our wonderfully American holiday!
I only beg to differ when it comes to my level of disappointment in the team up North falling to the Buckeyes... :) Can't help it - I'm a life-long Ohioan!
Best wishes for an enjoyable Thanksgiving, Missy!
Hi, Missy. Thank you for laying out the history of Thanksgiving. It is indeed a unique American tradition that needs to be preserved for generations. May you and yours have a great Thanksgiving.
Great Thanksgiving post, Missy. Very well said... "Lets return to the documents that gave us Liberty. They clearly outlined our God given rights and the limited responsibilities of our federal government."
What a unique Txgivng post Missy ! Havent seen one like that this week. Loved it :o)
Wishing you and your family all the best for Turkey Day !
Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
Food and football. Well, I'll take the food. Don't care much for football. Yup, I realize it's unAmerican but hey. However, the Constitution is always on the menu. Like you, I have no idea how we'll ever get rid of our trillion-dollar debt that shows no sign of slowing down. Happy Thanksgiving, Missy. I hope the team you're rooting for wins.
Missy a very Happpy Thanksgiving to you and yours. I am at a lose when it comes to football. I can never figure out who has the ball.
Hi Missy! Happy Thanksgiving to you as well--hope you were surrounded with love and enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving feast with your family and friends! I was originally going to leave a simple 'Amen' in your comments but, you know me, I could NEVER do that!!
First of all, thank you for the history lesson--I don't think that I ever knew that Thanksgiving was changed to the last Thursday in November to boost the economy--or that it was ever on a Tuesday. (I did retain SOME of my history but, these things just mean more to me nowadays than they did when I was a school child!)
Reaffirmation of one's devotion to honoring the Constitution and the Bill of Rights is a wonderful idea--actually BOTH sides need to do a whole lot of reaffirmations!! The earmarks to assist one state or one particular business is so deceiptful and is of no help at all to our Country. I have major beefs with all of that as well as the pending legislation on health care.
I am so thankful to be an American--although I must say that I find myself praying harder than ever before for our Country these days!
Missy, oooooohhhh, nice post. I enjoyed reading it, and I am grateful for our Constitution and the history of our country- and - I echo your wishes "for all the Senators and Congressman and everyday citizens to renew their pledge of love and loyalty to the Constitution of the United States"!
Missy- Excellent post. Have a great Thanksgiving weekend!
Dear Missy,
Thanks for the timely reminder about what Thanksgiving is really for.
Betina
Missy: I really enjoyed this article! Hope you and your family had an especially blessed Thanksgiving Day celebration!....
Missy,
maybe we need to add two "Thank you" to the Thanksgiving dinner ritual. One to China for buying our debt.
The other to our grandchildren as they will be the one to pay it off.