Happy Thanksgiving 2017!
As we prepare to celebrate the Thanksgiving Holiday with family, friends and loved ones, I would like to take this opportunity to express sincere gratitude to you and yours. Thanksgiving always falls on the fourth Thursday of November. This year Thanksgiving is on Thursday, November 23.
Traditional Thanksgiving meals:
The traditional Thanksgiving meal revolves around turkey, to the point where Thanksgiving is sometimes colloquially called Turkey Day. The turkey is usually served with cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy. Yams or sweet potatoes are another important part of Thanksgiving dinner and is often served as a side-dish. Click here for some Thanksgiving Day Recipes.
How is the day celebrated?
Many big cities hold a Thanksgiving Day parade, the most famous of which is the Macy's parade in New York City – an annual pageant of floats, cheerleaders, marching bands and gigantic helium balloons in the shape of cartoon characters including Mickey Mouse and Felix the Cat.
Football (the American version) plays a major role in Thanksgiving. Playing and watching American football is a long held Thanksgiving tradition. This year we will be watching Mississippi State University play the University of Mississippi in Oxford, MS. My nephew is a red-shirt on Mississippi State University's football team. Although my allegiance is to my undergraduate Alma Mater, the University of Southern Mississippi, I will be cheering for the Dawgs this year and for the next few years.
Thanksgiving Day History
The celebration of Thanksgiving is primarily a feast to give thanks for the fruits of the previous harvest. Thanksgiving Day can be traced back to the 1621 celebration at the Plymouth Plantation, where the Dutch settlers of the Plymouth Colony known popularly as the Pilgrims invited the local Native Americans to a harvest feast after a particularly successful growing season.
This feast lasted three days, and was attended by 90 Native Americans and 53 Pilgrims. It spread through the country and was celebrated on different days in different communities until, in 1789, George Washington declared the first national Thanksgiving Day.
Every American does not celebrate Thanksgiving Day?
Many Indigenous Americans, who were displaced by the settlers, refrain from celebrating Thanksgiving as a protest against looting of their resources and bringing them many misfortunes. Additionally, many people are sad and alone and do not feel the need to celebrate. It may feel like any other day to some people. This is a great time of the year to invite people to join in on your festivities or better yet, invite yourself.
Happy Thanksgiving from The Odom's
Thanksgiving Day is my favorite holiday because my birthday blends in with this festive season! It is a time to acknowledge the abundance that we are afforded throughout the year and the time to celebrate the special people in our lives.
I pray that everyone has an enjoyable and safe Thanksgiving holiday season and that your holiday is filled with all the love, joy, and happiness your heart desires.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
Angela M. Odom
P.S. Learn more about this and other holidays at the holiday spot. This is where I found some of the information for this article.
P.S.S. Learn more about Angela M. Odom
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