Today marks the day that many homes in the United States will be heavily indulging in big turkey feasts that often take much of the day to prepare. But many people also forget it’s true meaning that started around 1621 in Plymouth.
Back then, the Pilgrims and Puritans had emigrated from England and carried with them the tradition of Days of Fasting and Days of Thanksgiving to our country. Around this time of the season they held a feast and offered many prayers of thanksgiving when they reaped a bountiful harvest. Eventually by the late 1660’s, the practice of holding an annual harvest festival became common in New England and over time, across the rest of the nation. But most people these days have either forgotten about this or they simply don’t care to know. Instead, they focus on what this holiday has turned into, which is a mostly a huge feeding fest.
That feeding fest will have most people spending today overindulging in huge plates of turkey or ham, mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, and a wide variety of desserts. By the time the day ends, many will find their eyes getting heavy with the notion that their fatigue is coming from the L-Tryptophan they consumed in the turkey earlier. But ironically, that’s a myth as turkey does not contain an overabundance of the essential amino acid as compared to any of the other types of poultry they consume on a regular basis. What actually causes most people’s fatigue on this day is their gluttony and the crash they have afterwards from it.
I’m trying to be more conscious today of things like this as I don’t like overindulging and feeling that uncomfortable feeling afterwards from having eaten that much. I’ve come to believe that the only reason why I ever consumed that much at previous Thanksgiving meals, or any other big meal for that matter, was my attempt to fill all that emptiness I felt within about my life. I don’t feel that huge pit of emptiness anymore because of the spiritual work I’ve been doing, so I’ve prepared to spend this Thanksgiving a little different.
This year, I plan on being more consciously aware of how this holiday originated over three centuries ago by having gratitude for the abundance I have in life. I plan on spending this day with only my partner and we have decided to spend the holiday meal by going out for dinner. There I know I will start out that meal like I do all my other meals, by giving thanks for the plentiful food in front of me. And I will end that prayer by sending a blessing to all those out there in our country who might not have anyone special to be with today, or who might not even have any food to eat because they are homeless and destitute.
So however you choose to spend this Thanksgiving holiday, I encourage you to take a moment, breathe, and know that overindulging and being gluttonous today isn’t going to fill any spiritual emptiness that exists inside of you. Instead it will only end up just making you feel pretty miserable later, so how about trying to do things a little different this year by practicing how this holiday once started. So be grateful for the abundance of food you might have in front of you today, offer a serious prayer of thanksgiving to God because of it, and try to remember all those out there who might not be as fortunate as you. In doing so, you’ll be taking a step back in time and honoring those Puritans and Pilgrims who originated the true meaning of Thanksgiving.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone and God bless!
Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson