Thanking. Giving.

​History *:

Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday observed in the United States. In 1621, history tells, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Americans shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as the first Thanksgiving celebration in the colonies. 

In 1789, George Washington issued the first Thanksgiving proclamation by the national government of the United States. He called upon Americans to express their gratitude for the happy conclusion to the country’s war of independence and the successful ratification of the U.S. Constitution.
 
In 1817, New York became the one of the first northern states to officially adopt an annual Thanksgiving holiday.

In 1827, a magazine editor Sarah Josepha Hale, launched a campaign to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday. “For 36 years, she published numerous editorials and sent scores of letters to governors, senators, presidents and other politicians, earning her the nickname the Mother of Thanksgiving.”

In 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November. He asked all Americans to express thanks to God and 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.” He scheduled Thanksgiving for the final Thursday in November, and it was celebrated on that day every year.
 
In 1939, Franklin D. Roosevelt attempted to move the holiday up a week (in an attempt to spur retail sales during the Great Depression). After strong opposition in 1941, he changed Thanksgiving Day to the fourth Thursday in November.


Meaning:

We must remember the true meaning of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a reminder for gratitude, thankfulness, and appreciation. Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. Thanksgiving doesn’t begin with and end after a big meal. This holiday bears a more significant meaning. Thanksgiving is not a noun, but rather the combination of two verbs; Thanking and Giving. Thus, the word is a Call to Action!  It is a noun when it is a reminder. It is a reminder to: share your success with others, to uplift others, to keep company, or simply to pay it forward in order to create abundance for others. 

On this day, reflect on how to build upon the feeling of thankfulness. Start with small steps. Paying it forward is a great way to begin. Turn a day to express gratitude to a month of expressing gratitude and then to a year of expressing gratitude. The expression of gratitude should not be limited to words and thoughts, but in actions. This is true gratitude.

Finding peace within yourself comes from giving thanks for all that is good and reciprocating that thanks. 
There is no better time act than now! 
Acting now means, you will no longer need a reminder. 
It will become a habit. 
It will become natural to you. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

*The history lesson is from the History Channel website.