Turkey Day

I realize Thanksgiving has already passed, but I haven't had a chance to blog since coming back from vacation. Thought I'd share with all of you the message I sent out to many of my Thai, UK, Aussie, NZ, and Chinese friends over here in Asia-Pacific. Also, I hope you all had great holidays... 3 more weeks and we can all launch our new diets to prepare for next year's feasts!

Thanksgiving is a truly American holiday.

The history is a group of pilgrims (settlers) came to the "New World" (America) in the Mayflower ship. They landed at Plymouth Rock on December 11, 1620 in what is now the state of Massachusetts. Their first winter was devastating. At the beginning of the following fall, they had lost 46 of the original 102 who sailed on the Mayflower. But the fall harvest of 1621
was a bountiful (plentiful) one. The remaining colonists decided to
celebrate with a feast -- including 91 native Americans who had helped the Pilgrims survive their first year. It is believed that the Pilgrims would not have made it through the year without the help of the natives. The feast was more of a traditional English harvest festival than a true "thanksgiving" observance. It lasted three days. It is now called Thanksgiving.

It was a time of giving thanks to God, and to friends and family for their safe arrival in the New World, and for being thankful for all the good things in their lives.

The reason for eating turkey?
Prior to the celebration, Governor William Bradford sent "four men fowling" after wild ducks and geese. It is not certain that wild turkey was part of their feast. However, it is certain that they had venison (deer). The term "turkey" was used by the Pilgrims to
mean any sort of wild fowl.

October of 1777 marked the first time that all 13 of the original colonies joined in a thanksgiving celebration.

President George Washington (1st President of the U.S.A.) proclaimed a National Day of Thanksgiving in 1789.

In 1941, Thanksgiving was finally sanctioned by the US Congress as a legal holiday, as the fourth Thursday in November.

So, while it may be an American holiday. There's no reason why we can't all give thanks tomorrow (Thursday) for all the good things in our lives no matter where we come from, or what our religion.

I for one am thankful for having reconnected this year with so many friends from way back in High School. Missed you guys and gals!