Thanksgiving in a time of strife

SHELLEY — The year 2020 will likely go down as one of the most challenging years of our lifetime.   This year, we have experienced unexpected deaths, sickness, business closures, job interruptions, loss of income, isolation, anxiety, political discord and, overall, societal dystopia.  Some have missed competitions, proms, graduations and formal weddings.  Simultaneously, others planned to attend a school or go on a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, only to find it either canceled or changed.   One may ask, after experiencing these things, what is there to be grateful for this Thanksgiving?  The answer to this question may be in understanding how Thanksgiving itself became a National holiday.    

Thanksgiving has become a day where family and friends eat copious amounts of food, enjoy each other’s company and find ever-more unique ways of cooking a turkey, with only feigned recognition to the first Thanksgiving at Plymouth Rock. 

But what was the real purpose of Thanksgiving, and why did it become a National holiday?

The first Thanksgivings

In 1621, after harvesting a successful corn crop, Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Native Americans gathered for a celebratory autumn feast, that lasted three days.  This event is considered the first Thanksgiving.  The tradition continued in the colonies and states for almost 200 years. 

In 1789, President George Washington issued the first Thanksgiving Proclamation calling upon all Americans to express their gratitude for success in the war of independence and the successful ratification of the United States Constitution. 

Following presidents continued recognizing Thanksgiving Day and encouraging American’s to observe it.  Several states set aside their own for thanksgiving observance. 

Lincoln’s proclamation of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving didn’t become a national holiday until 1863, at the height of the Civil War, when President Abraham Lincoln made a proclamation setting the last Thursday of November as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise. 

In his proclamation, despite a brutal and bloody civil war, a war that threatened to destroy the country, Lincoln found reason to give thanks.

“The year that is drawing towards its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come,†Lincoln said.     

He recognized that even though the country was vulnerable, no other nation had attacked.

“Peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere, except in the theater of military conflict,” he said.

He marveled that the economy continued to operate and grow, despite so much wealth and strength from the fields and industry being consumed by the ravenous monster of war.  He recounted that the coal and iron mines were yielding more than ever before, and the population was steadily rising despite the war ending so many lives. Finally, he said none of this was due to men. 

“They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People,” Lincolns said.

Lincoln beseeched the people to pray.

“I recommend to them that, while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers …,” Lincoln said. “Fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the
nation, and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union.”

Our Thanksgiving

President Lincoln understood that proper expression of gratitude and thanksgiving also requires a petition or prayer on behalf of those less fortunate.  He understood that gratitude is the first step to clearly seeing the world as it is and not as what we perceive it to be. 

As we review this past year, do we not see the blessings in our life?  We live in a beautiful part of the country.  We live among amazing people who share our same principles and values regardless of religion.  Our communities are safe and secure.  For most of us, we prosper in our work and businesses.  In short, we have so many blessings granted to us.

What do we have to be grateful for this Thanksgiving season?  And to whom should our prayers be directed? 

A full text of President Lincoln’s Proclamation can be found here.