ALT-3 Should Thanksgiving be a Holiday
Nearly every culture in the world celebrated, and still celebrates, some sort of harvest festival in appreciation of a year of survival and in gratitude for their blessings.Our particular example in the U.S. is based on pilgrims who were Christian, but that has no relevance on the act of being grateful, so it easily encompasses any religion. Gratitude for our many blessings and taking time to show our appreciation, should transcend religion, and nationality.
Thanksgiving should certainly be a holiday. It is non - partisan, non - denominational event, and pretty much a day that everyone can find a reason to celebrate. Even if you find the Pilgrims politically incorrect, you can just enjoy the day, being thankful for whatever you can think of. Days of thanksgiving and rejoicing for an abundant harvest were not invented by the Pilgrims. These were old traditions that have been practiced for centuries.
By the end of the their first year in the New World, the Pilgrims and their new neighbors were getting along better than many of the communities and neighboring countries back in Europe. They celebrated as one large group, everyone furnishing food, and joining in sporting events together. Their thankfulness for a bountiful harvest was real, and so was the ever present gratefulness of their native American neighbors. In 1621, these very different neighbors were coexisting and surviving, together.Thanksgiving, unlike other holidays, has one main objective. There is no over abundance of decorating, no card sending, no gift giving, and no arguments over religious displays. The goal is to prepare and eat more food than you should consume in a week, watch football, play games, nap, and visit with family and friends. If you happen to mention some of the blessings of the year that you are particularly grateful for, so much the better.In the long run, it doesn’t hurt anyone to take a day off to celebrate what they have and take stock of what they should be appreciating year round. For many people, this is one of the few days that they can get together with family to get caught up on everyone’s life.In spite of the trials and tribulations, or because of them, Thanksgiving should continue as an important holiday. We should treasure it as a day when we can take time to relax, take a deep breath, and think about what is truly important in our lives.
