Happy Thanksgiving Day to All!

[b][size=large][color=CC3300]Happy Thanksgiving Day to Everyone![/color][/size][/b]

[image][img]http://bookcellarinc.com/calendar//upload/765e_turkey1.jpg[/img]

Eph 5:19-20 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Happy Thanksgiving!

:-)

Wishing you all all joy and happiness in giving thanks!

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my brothers and sister here on Sermon Index. I just wanted to take a few moments to say thank you for your prayers, and encouragement, it means so much to me.

God bless and keep you all
mj

Hi to all my brothers and sisters across the pond! Hope you all had a good thanksgiving day.

As a Brit, can you please tell me how the 'average' American celebrates thanksgiving and what it means to them?

I think I know what it's about, but wondered what it means now.

Thanks.

I think I know what it's about, but wondered what it means now.

To the Christian it is a time when we reflect on the blessings of the past year and give thanks. Some churches may have worship services emphasizing that bounty, and giving the attendees opportunity to share their testimony about the blessings they have received this year.

Since people always think they have to eat well in order to celebrate, many families will get together to eat. A central item on this menu will be turkey, dressing and pumpkin pie and, perhaps, pecan pie. This food is cooked by the women while the men are out in the field hunting for deer. Rarely is one killed but it is a sport males enjoy. The rest of the day is spent cleaning up the kitchen (for the woman) while the men doze in the living room after stuffing themselves! :-D EDIT: and after that all-important nap will go out in search of that deer later in the afternoon...

I do not know how the ungodly carry on on this day. I have observed they usually do all to excess which includes drunkenness. Then when any of these folks become Christians they will eschew celebrations that include feasting.

For the average family in the USA it is a time of getting together with family and sitting back and enjoying each other. This alone is so helpful and essential to maintain family ties. With families becoming fragmented this is happening less and less and because it is many folks will experience deep depression.

This is my perception...

ginnyrose

Hi Heydave,

You mentioned that you were familiar with what it's all about. Just to be sure, Thanksgiving was a holiday instituted by the 16th President, Abraham Lincoln during the darkest days of the American Civil War. While the States were on the brink he was taking time to recognize what a fragile and precious thing any measure of civil and religous liberty is in this world. Given that over 600,00 were to die for liberty's neglect as well as it's affirmation through the ultimate defeat of slavery on this continent, 19th century Americans were perhaps more able to understand the meaning of Lincoln's Thanksgiving Day proclamation...

"No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. 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 voice by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.

"And 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 in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and 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, tranquillity and Union."

For me today, this is still what Thanksgiving Day means. On one hand, it's getting together with larger circles of family and friends to share an exceptionally good meal. I enjoyed Ginnyrose's rich description very well. The day is often accompanied by wholesome conversation and traditions. Some traditions are reverent, like singing a family hymn, and some traditions are sentimental, like each inidividual sharing something they are thankful for.

With every holiday it is possible to point out the worst behavior. Our American culture often exhibits wanton excess and lazy entitlement all at the same time. Even so, there is still a gratitude among many American Christian people, though they might be fretful for the frailty of our many public and private circumstances.

Blessings,

MC

Thanksgiving sounds brilliant.

Thank's Ginnyrose and Compton for your descriptions. Sounds a bit like Christmas to us for the feasting and family, but without all the pagan trappings.
I did not realise it started during the civil war with Abraham Lincoln. I thought it went back to the Pilgrim fathers (I've seen the other post on this). So I have learnt something.

Thank you.

Hi Heydave,

A couple of links that will help.

What is the origin of America's annual Thanksgiving Day?

From: http://www.christiananswers.net/q-wall/wal-g007.html

In all fairness the native peoples side:

From: http://www.2020tech.com/thanks/temp.html

Pray all had a blessed Thanksgiving Day.

I must confess to eating to much.:-o

lee