15 Comments

I love this! I just did a little research myself on Thanksgiving and to say that it’s complicated is possibly an understatement. Unfortunately, the more people butt up against complex issues, the louder they cry for 1-dimensional explanations.

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Thank you! Yes, I just touched the surface. It's a big topic!

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It was eye-opening to say the least. I had no idea that up until Lincoln made Thanksgiving a national holiday, thanksgiving was strictly a religious event of giving thanks to God - sometimes for survival, for material bounty, and even in gratitude for winning in battles.

The many proclamations given by various local governments declaring this day or that a day of thanksgiving, were very specific about the intent and even what they should be thanking God for. Even the proclamations that Lincoln issued were very specific about thanking God for specific Union victories.

I had more than one “eye rolling” moment as I measured the vast difference between those early proclamations and today’s decadence.

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I’ve never quite known what to make for sure about this unusually controversial American holiday. The counter arguments to the naysayers always seem convincing, but they tend to come from activist types with transparent agendas. Luckily there is a voice like yours, someone who has an impeccable record of acting in good faith. Now I have a far less wishy-washy opinion of today.

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Well thanks, but don't take me for the last word!

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The truth is, many don't know why Thanksgiving is a holiday so when people screech about it being this or that, they often reveal their lack of understanding. As it is with other holidays. For me, as a teacher, I am thankful for two extra days off I can spend with family.

I generally like your articles here even if I think your posts on Twitter are not so great.

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Thanks on the articles! My Twitter posts may be an acquired taste.

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Yeah, I don't think your twitter is bad necessarily for what it's worth.

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Very good article. There's room to criticize the US, but there's also room not to do so. I'll grudgingly give up Columbus Day, but you can pry Thanksgiving from my cold, gravy covered hands.

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I may need to steal that "gravy covered hands" line.

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"Most Americans are going to ignore all this...." Let's Give Thanks for that.

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Thank you for the part about stolen land. Drives me nuts that the second-to-last people to conquer some land are categorically thought of as victims and the last are categorically oppressors.

Also re: “proud” I’ve always found it weird because being American isn’t something that I did so it seems a little weird to be proud of it. I’m proud of (some of) the stuff I’ve done! But I just lucked into being American. It’s pretty sweet, I’m happy about it. But I’m not sure “proud” is the right word.

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Nice piece. Nano-quibble: Thanksgiving did not technically become a national holiday until FDR proclaimed it at some point during WWII (1943 as I recall, too lazy to Google it). Washington, Adams, and Madison had also declared days of thanksgiving. In all such cases, the holidays per se were declared (or not) by the States, even between Lincoln and FDR. That is why there was the famous squabble in the 30s when the New Dealers pulled Thanksgiving back a week to lengthen the Christmas shopping season in the hope that would stimulate the economy. Problem was, they decided to make that move in August (again as I recall), and it was too late to reschedule the thousands of football games planned for the day. States with GOP governors stuck with the original date, and states with Democratic governors went along with FDR but employers ended up giving two days off because everybody still wanted to see those football games. Within a few years, FDR reverted to the original calendar *and* made Thanksgiving a true federal holiday.

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There are plenty of reasons to get angry at the United States. Thanksgiving isn’t one of them.

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Nice article. Thanks for writing and for the history lesson!

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