"THANKSGIVING 2010"
Some Christians have a problem with celebrating Thanksgiving.
They consider it to be the same as Christmas. A pagan holiday.
That isn't so. If you will study the history of Thanksgiving you
will see the pilgrims celebrated the first one in
thanks to God for his blessings to them in their first year of harvest in America.
"Thanksgiving in the United States grew out of the Pilgrims first Thanksgiving
of 1621, although there were fall festivals before that. The first Thanksgiving
grew out of two old traditions. Partly it was a harvest fall festival, and partly a
time when the Pilgrims thanked God for helping them survive."
"Few people know Thanksgiving's roots go back much farther than the
Pilgrims. Long ago most people grew their own food. Farming people around
the world held harvest festivals, giving thanks to God for providing food for
the winter. Prayer and food were often big parts of these festivals. The
Egyptians held some of the first known thanksgiving festivals over 4,000
years ago. The ancient Greek, Roman, Chinese, and Jewish people held
harvest festivals. One of the oldest festivals the Jewish people began to
celebrate was Sukkot, which began several thousand years ago. Most
American Jewish celebrate both Sukkot and Thanksgiving. In more recent
times, people in other lands held thanksgiving festivals. English farmers held
the Harvest Home Festival after the grain harvest. At the feasts they enjoyed
dancing, and games at their celebrations."
People have always came together to thank God for guiding them through
hard times. Often proclaiming special days of thanksgiving. These thanks-
givings differed from the harvest festivals. They came at various times of
the year. In many cases food was not served. In fact, people spend the
whole day praying and fasting (avoided food). The term fasting is: Not
eating for a time."
President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national THANKSGIVING DAY
during the civil war, on October 3, 1863. He asked that the nation give
thanks for the Union on the last Thursday, that made the first true Thanks-
giving on November 26, 1863, recognizing a long-standing New England
tradition of placing the holiday on the fourth Thursday in November.
The president did it partially to help soothe the national mood, which was
weiry of the Civil War. He declared Thanksgiving again for November 23,
1864. In 1865, his successor, Andrew Johnson, declard a Thanksgiving for
December 7, 1865, and presidents traditionally declared a Thanksgiving,
every autumn since. President Andrew Johnson was the first president to
give government employees the day off, making it a legal holiday.
In 1941, Congress passed a bill, and FDR signed it, that fixed the date as
the fourth Thurday in November, but Congress enacted a law to fix the date.
FDR attempted to move the holiday to the third Thursday in November, but
Congress enacted a law to set the date at the fourth Thursday in November,
thus making it an "official" holiday. On November 26, 1941, FDR signed the bill.
What is wrong with giving thanks to God for His care and protection? We
should do that daily, but what is wrong with having a special time of the year
to give extra thanks to God the Father? If it had anything to do with a pagan
holiday or worship of something besides God, then we shouldn't have anything
to do with it. We are worshiping God as we should. We are not proclaiming it
to be a holy day. Although most Churches have Thanksgiving Dinners and
Programs, in special thanks to God.
With all my research, I see nothing wrong with celebrating Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving is one of my families big celebrations of the year. Only second
to the Lord's Supper Service. Thanksgiving is a time for everyone to give God
extra thanks.
I wish everyone a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving Day. Sending extra thanks
to God the Father for all His blessings.
Starlight*
November 24, 2010
They consider it to be the same as Christmas. A pagan holiday.
That isn't so. If you will study the history of Thanksgiving you
will see the pilgrims celebrated the first one in
thanks to God for his blessings to them in their first year of harvest in America.
"Thanksgiving in the United States grew out of the Pilgrims first Thanksgiving
of 1621, although there were fall festivals before that. The first Thanksgiving
grew out of two old traditions. Partly it was a harvest fall festival, and partly a
time when the Pilgrims thanked God for helping them survive."
"Few people know Thanksgiving's roots go back much farther than the
Pilgrims. Long ago most people grew their own food. Farming people around
the world held harvest festivals, giving thanks to God for providing food for
the winter. Prayer and food were often big parts of these festivals. The
Egyptians held some of the first known thanksgiving festivals over 4,000
years ago. The ancient Greek, Roman, Chinese, and Jewish people held
harvest festivals. One of the oldest festivals the Jewish people began to
celebrate was Sukkot, which began several thousand years ago. Most
American Jewish celebrate both Sukkot and Thanksgiving. In more recent
times, people in other lands held thanksgiving festivals. English farmers held
the Harvest Home Festival after the grain harvest. At the feasts they enjoyed
dancing, and games at their celebrations."
People have always came together to thank God for guiding them through
hard times. Often proclaiming special days of thanksgiving. These thanks-
givings differed from the harvest festivals. They came at various times of
the year. In many cases food was not served. In fact, people spend the
whole day praying and fasting (avoided food). The term fasting is: Not
eating for a time."
President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national THANKSGIVING DAY
during the civil war, on October 3, 1863. He asked that the nation give
thanks for the Union on the last Thursday, that made the first true Thanks-
giving on November 26, 1863, recognizing a long-standing New England
tradition of placing the holiday on the fourth Thursday in November.
The president did it partially to help soothe the national mood, which was
weiry of the Civil War. He declared Thanksgiving again for November 23,
1864. In 1865, his successor, Andrew Johnson, declard a Thanksgiving for
December 7, 1865, and presidents traditionally declared a Thanksgiving,
every autumn since. President Andrew Johnson was the first president to
give government employees the day off, making it a legal holiday.
In 1941, Congress passed a bill, and FDR signed it, that fixed the date as
the fourth Thurday in November, but Congress enacted a law to fix the date.
FDR attempted to move the holiday to the third Thursday in November, but
Congress enacted a law to set the date at the fourth Thursday in November,
thus making it an "official" holiday. On November 26, 1941, FDR signed the bill.
What is wrong with giving thanks to God for His care and protection? We
should do that daily, but what is wrong with having a special time of the year
to give extra thanks to God the Father? If it had anything to do with a pagan
holiday or worship of something besides God, then we shouldn't have anything
to do with it. We are worshiping God as we should. We are not proclaiming it
to be a holy day. Although most Churches have Thanksgiving Dinners and
Programs, in special thanks to God.
With all my research, I see nothing wrong with celebrating Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving is one of my families big celebrations of the year. Only second
to the Lord's Supper Service. Thanksgiving is a time for everyone to give God
extra thanks.
I wish everyone a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving Day. Sending extra thanks
to God the Father for all His blessings.
Starlight*
November 24, 2010
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