Thanksgiving is not My Holiday
I am thankful. I truly am. I'm thankful for my family, for my pets, for homeschooling, for my college, for my job, for volunteer opportunities. I'm thankful for interesting people I meet, places I go, and books I read. I'm thankful for the freedom to write this blog and express my emotions. I really am thankful for so much.
However, Thanksgiving is really not my holiday.
Christmas is meaningful for to me. For me, as a follower of Jesus, it is a time to celebrate His birth (even though He was not really born in December, of course). New Year's is about new beginnings. Valentine's Day is about love. Easter is a time to for me, personally, to remember Christ's sacrifice and resurrection. But Thanksgiving...
Yes, Thanksgiving commemorates the thankfulness of the Pilgrims and Native Americans for their bountiful harvest. However, the more I study about Puritan beliefs and the more I study about atrocities toward the Native Americans, the less I really want to commemorate that get-together. The Puritans were not nice people, even to other Puritans. They were cold and legalistic and holier-than-thou. My sons and I study some of the cruelties committed against the Native Americans, not only through the colonization process but also later through assimilation. I really do not want to celebrate that either.
Then there is the whole family aspect of Thanksgiving. I mean, that is important. Don't get me wrong. As I said, I am extremely thankful for my family. However, when one comes from a family that was abusive or toxic, even that aspect of Thanksgiving hurts. Sometimes when I think I have moved on from past hurts, holidays like Thanksgiving can open old wounds. This year, this is especially true for me. I blame it on being around more traditionally-minded people on a regular basis than I have been in past years.
Lastly, there is a newer greed associated with Thanksgiving - a greed called Black Friday. I worked in retail for four years. I saw retail employees who wanted time off on Thanksgiving to spend time with their families be forced to work to provide for greedy people who want to save a buck. I would hear all kinds of excuses from "If the stores are open, people will come" and "It's a family tradition for us to eat and then shop." How nice that they could establish a new family tradition at the expense of others. How nice to be able to justify the selfishness of having no convictions, or at least ignoring them, in the name of saving money. Then, of course, the same people proclaimed thankfulness to God on this supposedly holy holiday.
These are some reasons why I say Thanksgiving is not my day. Granted, I will make sure my sons have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I will not ruin their holiday for them. I know from past experiences what that it is like to have holidays ruined. However, Thanksgiving is just not my holiday.
However, Thanksgiving is really not my holiday.
Christmas is meaningful for to me. For me, as a follower of Jesus, it is a time to celebrate His birth (even though He was not really born in December, of course). New Year's is about new beginnings. Valentine's Day is about love. Easter is a time to for me, personally, to remember Christ's sacrifice and resurrection. But Thanksgiving...
Yes, Thanksgiving commemorates the thankfulness of the Pilgrims and Native Americans for their bountiful harvest. However, the more I study about Puritan beliefs and the more I study about atrocities toward the Native Americans, the less I really want to commemorate that get-together. The Puritans were not nice people, even to other Puritans. They were cold and legalistic and holier-than-thou. My sons and I study some of the cruelties committed against the Native Americans, not only through the colonization process but also later through assimilation. I really do not want to celebrate that either.
Then there is the whole family aspect of Thanksgiving. I mean, that is important. Don't get me wrong. As I said, I am extremely thankful for my family. However, when one comes from a family that was abusive or toxic, even that aspect of Thanksgiving hurts. Sometimes when I think I have moved on from past hurts, holidays like Thanksgiving can open old wounds. This year, this is especially true for me. I blame it on being around more traditionally-minded people on a regular basis than I have been in past years.
Lastly, there is a newer greed associated with Thanksgiving - a greed called Black Friday. I worked in retail for four years. I saw retail employees who wanted time off on Thanksgiving to spend time with their families be forced to work to provide for greedy people who want to save a buck. I would hear all kinds of excuses from "If the stores are open, people will come" and "It's a family tradition for us to eat and then shop." How nice that they could establish a new family tradition at the expense of others. How nice to be able to justify the selfishness of having no convictions, or at least ignoring them, in the name of saving money. Then, of course, the same people proclaimed thankfulness to God on this supposedly holy holiday.
These are some reasons why I say Thanksgiving is not my day. Granted, I will make sure my sons have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I will not ruin their holiday for them. I know from past experiences what that it is like to have holidays ruined. However, Thanksgiving is just not my holiday.
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