How to Teach Children the Meaning of Thanksgiving
By eHow Relationships & Family Editor
Many countries throughout the world have a harvest festival of some kind. In North America, Thanksgiving is the most common autumn celebration, but what does it really mean, and how should you explain it to your children?
Many countries throughout the world have a harvest festival of some kind. In North America, Thanksgiving is the most common autumn celebration, but what does it really mean, and how should you explain it to your children?
Explain the ancient origins of the harvest festival to your children. In ancient times, people of many cultures (including the ancient Greeks, Romans, Hebrews, Egyptians and Chinese) gave thanks to their god or gods for a successful harvest, and some of the traditions associated with modern Thanksgiving celebrations have their roots in these ancient festivals.
Discuss the roots of the American Thanksgiving celebration. In 1621, near the end of the Plymouth colony's first year in America, the settlers gave thanks for a plentiful first harvest. The pilgrims and the natives celebrated together (they had arranged a peace treaty), and everyone feasted on geese, ducks, deer, corn, oysters, fish and berries.
Discuss Native American issues surrounding Thanksgiving. Despite the harmonious relations that may have existed between natives and pilgrims at the first Thanksgiving feast, many subsequent American Thanksgivings involved settlers giving thanks for victories over the natives. Ask your children how they feel about this, and discuss the recent efforts that have been made by the American government and people to apologize for past discrimination and violence.
Explain when ' and why ' Thanksgiving became an official holiday. In 1863, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed that Thanksgiving should be a national observance. To some degree, this was a way to brighten the spirits of the American people, who were dealing with a great deal of difficulty and deprivation.
Explain that one aspect of Thanksgiving involves gratitude for having enough food to eat, and encourage your children to help you buy groceries for the food bank, or make a donation to a local soup kitchen.
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4 comments:
Be sure to tell your children ,if it had not been for the indians they probably would have starved.
Be sure to tell your children that in 2008 if mom and dad had not been laid off due to greedy people in our beautiful nation that they would have turket today and not be eating , who knows what.
Be sure to tell your children that they should worry about future thanksgivings ,because of the debt that we leave them.
To hell with all the fold lore, because it was not as good as history books paint it , and the future may be much worse
For once in your life tell the truth.
Well I have four generations in my home right now, damn its loud. Today Im going to forget about it all and just enjoy these moments of grace.
Best thing i have read today 11:38
have a nice thanksgiving
Now that the dinner is over, the family is bedded down peacefully, consider how you would explain to your children the gratitude expressed by the pilgrims after their first thanksgiving. Tell me, how to you tell them the refugees were so grateful, they beheaded Massasoit and hung his head on the gate post outside their stockade. Explain to them the Pilgrims were not the first people here but the writers of history could never use the colonists of Jamestown as an example since they turned to cannabalism. So much for coming in peace and their treaties. I have yet to read a treaty that has not been violated or was worth the paper it is written on. The Seminoles were smart to never enter into any treaties with the government.
Now that I've vented, I hope you all enjoyed your day with family and friends.
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