Americans love Thanksgiving. Football and parades on TV, gluttonous food, abundant family and friends, cold temperatures outside and a warm, cozy home inside. We feel very thankful for all of the blessings in our lives. It is a day to be thankful and celebrate our gratitude.
Some families enjoy the culture and family traditions of a large feast, while retelling family tales from generations past. Some families have some interesting traditions involving charity donations, comical family dramas, neighborhood flag football tournaments, even local running events.
Why do we celebrate Thanksgiving? Some interpret religious gratitude for the harvest, some visualize the pilgrims and native Americans. This article from National Geographic was very informative. The article outlines the history of how the holiday originated and how it evolved over the last several hundred years since the first Thanksgiving in 1621. Educating our children and refreshing our memories of our history is so important.
Thanksgiving is a good time to live out the slogan words “live, love, laugh”. Encourage your children to enjoy the crazy stories of great Uncle Joe and how he met Aunt Mary and the year Grannie Bess made her famous sweet potatoes at three in the morning. Most importantly, let them hear how each of the members of your family, (however obnoxious or odd they may be), are thankful to have each other and so many other blessings.
