Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving holiday, Turkey, tradition, holiday, Pilgrims Is turkey really important to the Thanksgiving tradition?

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turkey.gif Turkey Thursday December 7, 2006 Thanksgiving has various meanings around the world Turkey isn't central to holiday tradition Renalie D. Reagan diginetXpress Thanksgiving is time for family gatherings, foods, traditions and to commemorate the coming of the Pilgrims to the United States. It is also the time to give thanks for good harvest, good fortune and blessings from God to some people's lives. Thanksgiving is one of the most popular holidays in the United States. Traditionally, Thanksgiving is a holiday that Americans spend together with their families who enjoy a meal, which usually includes the traditional turkey? Sharon Erksine, a retired teacher and mother of two grown children, says, "We celebrate Thanksgiving annually like most Americans do. When my Dad was still alive, we celebrated our Thanksgiving at my parent's house. My Mom prepared traditional food for the big meal. Turkey is one particular food they we always have during the meal. Aside from turkey, green bean casserole, pumpkin and sweet potato pies are among the family's favorite desserts during the holiday," Miss Erskine said she and her family continued celebrating the holiday yearly. For the past several years they have celebrated their Thanksgiving holiday at her brother's place. They continue to prepare traditional food until her family expanded and added some foods from her extended family members from other countries. "Now we have tamales, stir-fried vegetables, noodles and other special dessert from my extended family's favorites," she says. "Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because the whole family is all together." Miss Sapinas, a single mother, tells her story about Thanksgiving. She said in her country people do not celebrate Thanksgiving each November like in America. They celebrate Thanksgiving on different dates and different months. Her family celebrates thanksgiving if they have good harvest from their farm, if someone in her family is promoted on the job, or someone in her family has passed a professional exam. She added that during their Thanksgiving celebration they asked a priest to perform a mass-like service at their house to offer the blessings. Family members, relatives and friends are invited in the celebration. They do not have turkey for the meal. Instead they have chicken and the traditional "litson" or roasted whole pig on the menu. Ofelia also says that in some parts of her country, people also celebrate different festivals on various dates for their observance of Thanksgiving. The Thanksgiving holiday celebrated each November in the United States is known worldwide as an American custom, but its roots extend far back into human history. According to research conducted by The Center for World Thanksgiving at Thanks-Giving Square, the first Americans observed rituals and ceremonies to express gratitude to a higher power for life itself. A Seneca Indian ritual, for example, states, "Our Creator ... shall continue to dwell above the sky, and this is where those on the earth will end their thanksgiving." Another quotation attributed to American Indians before Columbus is this: "The plant has its nourishment from the earth and its limbs go up this way, in praise of its Maker ... like the limbs of a tree." According to historical sources, the Pilgrims never held an autumnal Thanksgiving feast. The Pilgrims did have a feast in 1621 near Plymouth, Mass., after their first harvest. This is the feast people often refer to as "The First Thanksgiving." This feast was never repeated, so it can't be called the start of a tradition, nor did the colonists or Pilgrims call it a Thanksgiving feast. In fact, to these devoutly religious people, a day of thanksgiving was a day of prayer and fasting. Nevertheless, the 1621 feast has become a model for the Thanksgiving celebration in the United States. More than likely, this first harvest feast was eaten outside, based on the fact that the colonists didn't have a building large enough to accommodate all the people who came. Native Americans definitely were among the invited guests, and it's possible-even probable-that turkey (roasted but not stuffed) and pumpkin in some form found their way to the table. The feast is described in a firsthand account presumably written by a leader of the colony, Edward Winslow, as it appears in Mourt's Relation: "Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest King Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed on our governor, and upon the captain and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty." From this historians know that the feast went on for three days, included 90 "Indians," as Native Americans were called then, and had plentiful food. In addition to the venison provided by the Native Americans, there was enough wild fowl to supply the village for a week. The fowl included ducks, geese, turkeys and even swans. In addition to Thanksgiving traditions brought to North America by settlers from many parts of the world, some authorities link the American Thanksgiving with the ancient Jewish observance of Sukkot in the fall, which expresses thanks to God for the bounty of the earth. Indeed, all the major world religions — including Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam — have rituals, observances and liturgies that express thanks and gratitude to a higher power for the gift of life and its wonders. Worldwide, the values and traditions of Thanksgiving are found in every culture and religion. The Thanksgiving holiday celebrated each November in the United States is a cherished American tradition, but its roots go far back into human history, according to research conducted by The Center for World Thanksgiving at Thanks-Giving Square. In prehistoric times, the first Americans observed rituals and ceremonies to express gratitude to a higher power for life itself. Throughout history, countries in Asia — including Japan, India, Indonesia, Thailand and Sri Lanka — have hosted festivals in gratitude for each year's rice harvest. In Africa, many tribal expressions of gratitude are similar to this ancient prayer: "The year has come around again, great Lord of our land. Never can we thank you for your good deeds and all your blessings." In South America many of the native cultures contain expressions of gratitude and thanksgiving, and in modern Brazil a special public day of thanksgiving and prayer has been designated for the fourth Thursday of November ever year since 1949. In the British Isles and Europe, the harvest thanksgiving is observed in Protestant and Catholic churches with special altar decorations. In Belfast, Northern Ireland, land has been set aside to establish a Thanksgiving Square there. Holidays.net http://www.holidays.net Thanksgiving.org http://www.thanksgiving.org