Sunday, November 25, 2012

A Time To Give Thanks

At the time when the Religious Wars of Europe ended, people through all of Europe sought religious freedom for what they truly believed in.  A specific group from England that were known as the Pilgrims received permission from the King of England to go to the New World to escape the turmoil Europe was enduring at the time.  They set out sailing to the Americas, a land newly discovered and unsettled.  At the time they made landfall, it was the season of winter.  This was bad for farming. Thankfully, the Native Americans took the settlers in and provided for them and taught them to survive.  When harvest came, thanks to the Native Americans, the settlers had obtained such a plentiful income that they hosted an enormous feast that included their mentors.  We celebrate this harvest in modern times as Thanksgiving.


Children receive a break from school for a few days, and the entire family celebrates by preparing food in their own household and most commonly, "carving the turkey."  Though we are celebrating the Pilgrims' landfall in North America, we also celebrate the essence of, "being thankful," for all we have, all the blessings and our lives in general.  Things like our family, household, friends, modes of transportation, life, culture, background, etc. are what people usually are thankful for in addition to much, much more.  No matter how challenging our lives can get, there is always a light to whatever situation we can be in.  "Where there is a dove, there is a serpent, and vice versa."

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