We should put values above everything
By: JAMES CLAIBORNE
Staff Writer
The first Thanksgiving was formed over four hundred years ago and was considered the feast of autumn. By the mid 1800’s it became a national holiday.
There were 13 colonies that did not celebrate Thanksgiving at the same time. It falls on the fourth Thursday of every November, which was proclaimed by Abraham Lincoln in 1863.
The Thanksgiving celebration has lost most of its true values in the American household today, such as the significance of true belief. Today’s purpose for the national holiday is all about cooking and sharing the company of friends and family.
About 90 percent of Americans enjoy eating the turkey whether it’s roasted, baked or fried. The traditional Thanksgiving feast is usually served with mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, collard greens or string beans, macaroni and cheese, spiral ham, pumpkin pie, tossed salad, baked buttery bread, a glass of wine and other kinds of food.
Volunteers often hold food drives to provide dinner for the less fortunate. The first Thanksgiving feast lasted three days and there were 90 Native Americans and 53 pilgrims who attended.
This is the day when more Americans have the privilege of eating twice as much as they normally do. They gather around the turkey dinner and give thanks for the blessing that they have received before enjoying their meal.
At this time of year, parades are held throughout the nation, such as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade that began in 1924 in the upper west part of Manhattan in New York City.
Parades are also given in 11 other states including the Ameren Missouri Thanksgiving Parade [AMTP] that is held in downtown St. Louis. The 2015 “AMTP” celebrated its 31st year.
It began at 8:45 a.m. on 7th Street and Market Street in downtown St. Louis, and was televised on KMO-TV Channel 4.
We should all ask ourselves what the traditional celebration is all about.
Is the four-day weekend just about a big turkey dinner with friends and family, football games, and parades? Or is it about expressing our gratitude for being healthy, prosperous, and sacrificing the meal that we planned to eat for someone else?
Today’s Thanksgiving changed so much from the originality, values and purpose and is not recognized as much as it was in the past.
So, as Thanksgiving comes around this year, remember to add the traditional flavor to the dinner table: belief, values, and history.
