I thought I'd share a little history on the day that I dug up.
Thanksgiving traditions did not stem from one thing. The common myth is that the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth and the natives greeted them and they had a feast. It's a little more complicated than that. The traditions come from a series of events that eventually evolved into what we now celebrate.
But most commonly this is the story that is told about what led to Thanksgiving. In 1620 a ship (you might have heard of named the Mayflower) sailed from Plymouth, England to Massachusetts (which was named Plymouth). There were about 110 passengers aboard fleeing religious persecution in Europe. When they settled in Plymouth they endured a devastating Winter there where about half of the passengers died. The other half made it through the Winter and in 1621 they were greeted by natives who spoke English.
Some of the natives learned English from passing Vessels others were kidnapped, enslaved and taken back to Europe later to escape and return home. These natives eventually taught the Pilgrims how to harvest the land. By the next Winter they had enough harvest to get through the Winter so they decided to celebrate with the natives, which is the origin of the gathering of family. They celebrated for a 3 day period.
Over the next 2 years the Pilgrim's crops were depleting. They still weren't experienced enough at harvesting and they also shared their food. Then a severe Summer arrived and they fasted and prayed. Not long after their prayers the rain came. In November they declared a day of Thanks. This is most commonly perceived as the first Thanksgiving Day.
It wasn't until 1863, during the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November. Each President since Lincoln would also declare a national day of thanksgiving. Later it would evolve into what it is now and be celebrated on the 4th Thursday of each November.
The great thing about this day no matter what story is told is that it is about "thanks"; gratitude. What are you thankful for today?
The power of gratitude is very underestimated. If you are struggling with something (anything) I challenge you to incorporate a new practice in your daily grind. Before you fall asleep each night, while you are laying in bed, come up with at least 3 things you are grateful for. Write them down or simple just picture them in your head. Fall asleep thinking about them and only them. Then each morning before you get out of bed come up with a new gratitude list - again with at least 3 things. Keep this routine up for 21 days and then reevaluate how you feel. I guarantee you will have changed. Once you realize this maybe you'll be motivated to keep doing it.
I'll leave you with one of the best sunsets I was able to witness this year. I am grateful.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Some of my references included:
http://www.holidays.net/thanksgiving/pilgrims.htm
http://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving
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