In the United States, many of us learned about Thanksgiving in grade school. We were taught that the fifty-three pilgrims (the only colonists to survive the long voyage on the Mayflower and the first brutal winter in the New World), were celebrating the fall harvest. As adults, we understand there is more to the story. During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln, wasn’t thinking of turkey, pumpkin pie or any harvest, when he established this day as a national holiday. He wanted the people of America to celebrate the holiday as a sign of unity and Thanksgiving to God.
“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” (President Abraham Lincoln, Proclamation, October 3, 1863).
So, whether you are cooking for family and friends, be it a modest meal or a fabulous feast, preparing meals for our military men and women, who protect our country every day, serving our First Responders, who provide necessary aid to the community, or feeding those less fortunate, may the food you provide be served with love and compassion, nourish their bodies and feed their souls!
Have a Blessed Thankful Thursday!
