Thanksgiving - What does it mean??

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the USA. It’s a holiday that British people haven’t really adopted, and don’t really understand or appreciate. In fact, a lot of what we know of Thanksgiving has been learned from ‘Friends’!

As a representative of 10 US-based manufacturers, we are always keen to learn a bit more about their traditions, and to understand why they are taking 2 days off work!!

In 1621, the Mayflower pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians shared a feast, after their first successful autumn harvest, which is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies.

In 1863 Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday, in a proclamation entreating all Americans to ask God to “commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife” and to “heal the wounds of the nation.”

Today, Thanksgiving is a time to, well, give thanks! Although it has lost some of its original significance, it’s still one of the most important holidays in the year. Thanksgiving now centres on cooking and sharing a bountiful meal with family and friends, and sharing what you are thankful for.

There isn’t really any reason why the UK shouldn’t celebrate a form of Thanksgiving Day. Halloween is becoming a huge occasion in the UK, but I think we might have picked the wrong American tradition to adopt.

Because Thanksgiving isn’t based on any religion, unlike Christmas or Easter, it’s an opportunity to get together and do the one thing we don’t do enough of – give thanks for everything we love and are grateful for, whether its friends, family, pets or a stable job.

And what is worth celebrating more than that?

Happy Thanksgiving to our American friends and colleagues.