Fall is coming. The temperatures are cooling and the trees are becoming beautiful with their autumn colors. In some places that doesn't mean much as there is no change in the weather, but it does mean the time for giving thanks is near. Thanksgiving will soon be here. It is time to consider what Thanksgiving is all about.

The tradition of Thanksgiving started as an expression of thanks for a bountiful harvest and for survival. Throughout history man has celebrated giving thanks to spirits after harvesting their crops. The ancient Greeks, Romans, Hebrews, Chinese and Egyptians all held harvest festivals and thanksgiving celebrations.

In the United States it was the Pilgrims who set the holiday immediately after their first harvest in autumn of 1621. It was a three day celebration of food, feasting and praising God. The first federal holiday for Thanksgiving was declared by President Abraham Lincoln in 1893 for the last Thursday in November; however in 1941 Franklin D. Roosevelt declared the fourth Thursday in November as the official modern Thanksgiving holiday that is celebrated today.

In Canada the history of Thanksgiving goes back to the English explorer, Martin Frobisher. Frobisher was trying to find a northern passageway to the Orient but was unsuccessful. He did, however, establish a new settlement in Canada. In 1578 Frobisher held a celebration to give thanks for surviving his long journey. This is considered the first Canadian Thanksgiving and officially the first Thanksgiving to be held in North America. Observance of the day began officially in 1879, and the Canadian Thanksgiving celebration of today is celebrated on second Monday of October.

A traditional Thanksgiving dinner prominently features a roasted turkey with stuffing, served with cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy. Pumpkin and apple pie are also favorites-or just about any food that is from the fall harvest (such as squash, beans or corn). Cornucopias filled with pumpkins, gourds, squash and other harvest vegetables are common decorations, and wheat sheaves are also frequently set out.

Thanksgiving is usually a time that brings families together in their celebrations, so that all may give thanks for what they have received throughout the year. It is a time for all of us to ponder all the blessings that are present in our lives-think about the wonderful food that is put before us, think about the loved ones we have gathered around us, and think of all the things we possess that other don't. Celebrate this Thanksgiving with all the thanks and joy in your heart that the first settlers felt way back when.

Learn more about this author, Denny Phillips.
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