The immegrant's holiday.
When we lived in California I asked the couple who owned our favorite Chinese take-out place if they were celebrating Thanksgiving and they said, No.
What a pity. Of all the holidays Thanksgiving seems to me to be all about coming to America and everything that America represents.
Traditionally we talk about pilgrims and turkeys and while the first Thanksgiving is important (and for the record, it was celebrated by a diverse community, the settlers together with the natives for a big feast) but in the end it was just a party.
New immegrants are actually CLOSER to the pilgrims than any of us.
They came from somewhere else to America for opportunities, for material blessings, for the freedom to worship or live without oppression. The first Thanksgiving was a celebration of freedom and, yes, wealth... the new settlers had finally gotten over that extremely fragile time when they weren't sure they'd make it through the next winter. They had enough extra for a party, to thank God for His blessings and share with others.
A pot luck. :-)
And forget the turkey. Turkey is traditional, but really, it's just a bird big enough to feed a crowd. Anything big enough to feed a crowd will do. People should make their own food, their own feast, the way they want with food they enjoy.
And be thankful. Thankful for freedom. Thankful for opportunity. Thankful for this new land, this new country, this new home.
When we lived in California I asked the couple who owned our favorite Chinese take-out place if they were celebrating Thanksgiving and they said, No.
What a pity. Of all the holidays Thanksgiving seems to me to be all about coming to America and everything that America represents.
Traditionally we talk about pilgrims and turkeys and while the first Thanksgiving is important (and for the record, it was celebrated by a diverse community, the settlers together with the natives for a big feast) but in the end it was just a party.
New immegrants are actually CLOSER to the pilgrims than any of us.
They came from somewhere else to America for opportunities, for material blessings, for the freedom to worship or live without oppression. The first Thanksgiving was a celebration of freedom and, yes, wealth... the new settlers had finally gotten over that extremely fragile time when they weren't sure they'd make it through the next winter. They had enough extra for a party, to thank God for His blessings and share with others.
A pot luck. :-)
And forget the turkey. Turkey is traditional, but really, it's just a bird big enough to feed a crowd. Anything big enough to feed a crowd will do. People should make their own food, their own feast, the way they want with food they enjoy.
And be thankful. Thankful for freedom. Thankful for opportunity. Thankful for this new land, this new country, this new home.
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