When the first Pilgrims landed on the shores of America, they were poorly prepared for life in the wilderness of the North American continent. They came at a time unfavorable for surviving as a new colony.
The Pilgrims were willing to risk all to find a place where they could worship God freely according to their convictions, but they had no real idea of what the cost for such a risk involved. Only half of the original Mayflower passengers survived their first winter.
It was in the winter of 1623, during the “starving Time”, that the tradition of the five kernels of corn found its root. It was during that time that the rations for the new settlers were reduced to the barest minimum, when many of their meals consisted of this parsimonious amount of grain.
And yet they were thankful.
Without the help of the Native peoples of this new land they could not have survived. The Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared a feast after the first harvest, and that marked a common center of what was to come.
American history illustrates both the capacity we have for thankfulness and generosity, and how quickly and cruelly we can forget our debt of gratefulness. The holiday of Thanksgiving is one day of the year we are to remind ourselves of how dependent we were, and are, on God’s bounty and blessings, and the people through whom we receive kindness and support.
Much later in our history, Thanksgiving became a nationally recognized holiday whose general purpose is to give thanks for the many blessings enjoyed throughout the year.
Ideas To Cultivate Gratefulness
Try some of these ways to increase your own, and your family’s sense of thankfulness and appreciation
The corn cob, and corn kernels are an important part of the Thanksgiving history. Corn was the lifesaving grain that the Indians provided the Pilgrims both to eat and to learn to grow. A fitting table decoration for the holiday.
Ways to Show Thankfulness
Vintage Thanksgiving card
Zenhabits posted a list of practical ways to show your thankfulness to others. First on the list was “Create a ‘Gratitude Ritual'”. Simply taking the time to meditate on things you are grateful for, it is a form of “Count your many Blessings, Name them one by one”, as the old song goes. Take a look at the list, then visit the original post for details of how to incorporate each into your life.
I am a little more thankful than usual these days. The economic shifts simply highlight the fact that life is more than possessions, and makes the relationships and intangibles more clearly valuable.
Freedom From Want
Norman Rockwell painting of family Thanksgiving meal
Count Your Many Blessings
It might seem a cliché, but this truth of counting ones blessings to impress a feeling of gratefulness upon my soul has only grown stronger and deeper through the years.
In fact, in my own life I have come to see that it is a lack of gratefulness and the neglect of expressing it that underlies many of life’s problems. We forget how good we have it. We forget the sacrifices of others to bless us with plenty. We forget our peace and plenty and are in danger of losing it.
I have been cultivating this habit of expression in rebuilding relationships, but how much have I lost through the years that were bereft of sufficient amounts of showing affirmation and speaking thanks to those around me? I must release those regrets and simply turn my gaze towards the sowing of such acts today.
I have hope of a good harvest from those seeds of spoken thanks, and attitudes of gratefulness.
This Day Is Set Aside For Just Such an Expression
Part of giving thanks on Thanksgiving Day involves that act of counting our blessings. In America we have been blessed with plenty. And not least of our blessings are those very precious privileges of personal freedoms. The Pilgrims came to a new land hoping to be free to worship God according to their conscience. The America of today is a place, one of the few in the world, where that freedom is vouchsafed to every citizen.
The highlight holiday of November in the USA is Thanksgiving Day, a holiday where we remember to give thanks to God. And, for most of us, to eat turkey and all the trimmings! Thanksgiving Day in the USA is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of the month. Coloring Pages for the holiday.
Look for National Bible Week starting the 19th, and National Game & Puzzle Week, at the same time. Bible Quiz!
Other fun observances: Red Lipstick Day on the 11th,
American Indian Heritage Month
Georgia Pecan Month
It is also known as a time to celebrate foods like figs, cider, cinnamon , chestnuts, and pasta.
The Full Moon this month is named Beaver moon, Frost Moon and the Mourning Moon . To learn more about the names for full moons by different tribes and people see the page, Ancient Moon Month Names.
National Gingerbread Cookie Day 11/21
Feel Like Sketching November Scenes?
National Love Your Red Hair Day: November 5th This is a month for transitioning from fall to winter. Buy the Notebook, here.
Bring children into the the celebration of Thanksgiving with one of their favorite activities, coloring. If you have a printer these simple pictures can provide a quiet time in the midst of meal preparations.
How did Thanksgiving become a National Holiday?
Sara Hale tirelessly advocated for a National Thanksgiving holiday. Source: Richards Free Library
A woman named Sarah Hale, editor of the famous Godey’s Lady’s Book magazine, spearheaded a move to enshrine observation of thankfulness in the nation. She wrote to five presidents and numerous governors in her campaign for a Thanksgiving Day.
Hale is largely responsible for the idealistic, somewhat fictional view that Americans today hold in regards to interactions of these first New England colonists and the native peoples. Her picture of this feast with tables laden with turkey, stuffing, many dishes and gravies caught on with Victorian readers.
Godey’s Lady’s Book menu suggestions outlined what we consider a traditional holiday menu, today. How-to and recipes were provided to complete the celebration.
In keeping with her vision of this holiday, pictures here include those that represent parts of the meal, the idea of what the meal was like, how the English and Indian guests were believed to have dressed, and of course, the fat turkey.
Many of this things are now known to have little historical basis, but they are icons of the American Thanksgiving Holiday. I hope you will have fun coloring the ones you download and print.
Thanksgiving Themes
Centering around food, family, and gratefulness, Thanksgiving has ready-made themes. American Indians, native foods of pumpkin and corn, turkey and trimmings, pie…. it is a cornucopia of fun coloring with a bit of history.
Food Concepts of Hunger and Plenty
Pie is the American idea of a dessert dish served at holidays. This is a cherry pie, but pumpkin is the most popular choice.
[caption id="attachment_3381" align="aligncenter" width="442"] Corn, a native food staple helped the new Colonists to survive.
The story changes depending on who tells it and when, but certain facts are undeniable. One is that without the help and instruction of the Natives of the land, the Pilgrims were likely to fail. They greatly suffered from lack of food, and the Indians corn was a Godsend.
Pumpkins, maize, and wild turkeys were some of the bounties of this land where the Pilgrims landed.
The sharing of a feast is a symbol of the peaceful meeting of diverse people and cultures.
Who Were The Pilgrims?
In their native England they were dissenters against the prevailing religious establishment. Braving a journey to an unknown land was worth it to be able to practice their beliefs freely.
When traveling to the new world they came in the company of those wishing to settle for different reasons. The fellow travelers were called “strangers” by their more religious comrades.
Who Were The Wampanoag?
This was the Indian tribe which interacted with the Pilgrims in the original feast. Also called the Massasoit, they had a tradition that all the male leaders should be invited to village feasts. Thus 98 surprise guests turned up at this all-male meal. No worries, though… they came with plenty of meat to supply the tables.
The original celebration lasted three days.
The name means “People of the First Light” since they were situated at the eastern coastal region of the continent. This was a large confederation of tribal villages.
The Wampanoag later came into conflict with the English and suffered great loss from disease with the remnants of their people being sold into slavery, many to the Caribbean islands; but their early relations with the colonists were helpful and supportive. The famous “Squanto” was part of this tribal group:
Tisquantum and other Wampanoag taught the non-native newly arrived Pilgrims how to cultivate varieties of corn, squash and beans (the Three Sisters); catch fish, and collect seafood.(1)
Thankfulness and Gratitude
As first conceived, this was a religious holiday, observed with piety and solemnity. Modern times sees it as a family time with parades, watching football games, and overeating as all part of the day.
What remains is the idea that we should take time to be thankful for our many blessings. Remembrance of the bounty of the nation we live in, gratitude for freedoms and for friendship and family. For religious and secular alike, it is time to recall the good things we enjoy the rest of the year.
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