Once again, we have reached that day in the calendar when we celebrate Thanksgiving. Thomas Jefferson thought that the holiday that was first held in 1621 as a three-day harvest feast should not be declared a national holiday by the federal government – separation of church and state was his reason. It was okay for each state to have such a festival; just not the federal folks.
When I was a teacher at a nationally recognized hospital for patients with respiratory disease, we had an incredibly creative music teacher. One year, she decided that the entire hospital should celebrate Thanksgiving – patients and staff joining together for the event. At that time, the patients – children and adults lived for months at the hospital. There was no going home for the holidays.
So, celebrate we did! The children studied the first celebration of harvest, learned the foods that were eaten, and chose to portray either Pilgrims or Indians of the day. The kitchen was happy to provide the foods chosen by the students referencing their study of the event; the dinner closely resembled the original menu as much as was possible. Of course, there was no venison or other wild game, but the decorations (again, provided by the children under the direction of their teachers) were as authentic as possible.
The children’s costumes were crafted with the help of the counseling staff, the care givers who were responsible for the children when they were not in school or having medical tests. Attendees to this Thanksgiving feast included the CEO of the hospital, adult patients, nurses, doctors, as well as the staff of various departments of the hospital. The children shared their musical knowledge. It was a great learning experience for all.
In today’s world of fast food, busy schedules, travel to homes of distant relatives, and television ads announcing huge Thanksgiving Day savings, I believe that we’ve forgotten the real reason for celebrating this holiday. Although, our Thanksgiving celebrations do include festive meals and the enjoyment of family and friends, it seems to me that we don’t remember that this is a day of giving thanks for so many things. Do we really celebrate that a harvest is in? The product of a summer’s work is stored for the winter? Time was when foods were gathered and stored in some kind of containers – crocks, glass jars, bins, hay mows, wooden barrels, cellars, etc.
Safety and sanitation has replaced much of our old storage. I recognize that. Today, however, we do not “bring in the harvest.” I remember when my family (including my children) would go to the fields and pick tomatoes and green beans, bring them home and spend days getting them into jars to store in the pantry. Peaches and pears were also stored there.
My husband’s parents had a small acreage close by and raised chickens and cattle. Those went into our freezer – or into the local locker plant along with the foods brought there by other folks who rented those lockers because there was not enough room at home for the winter’s stash.
Today, I go to the market and get those same foods often supplied by workers in other countries – or by workers who have come to my country to work in the fields and orchards. I no longer need to labor over the food supplies for our winter meals. And, of course, I now live alone so the need for such supplies is not as great.
So, why, I wonder, do we celebrate Thanksgiving. We don’t “bring in the harvest,” any more. Rather, we use this day as a day away from work, feasting on “the bird” that someone else has raised; that we’ve purchased from a grocer. We spend the day shopping – those workers don’t get a day off of work. We spend the day watching games of sport – both college and professional. Many of these days, I’m told, end in arguments and disagreements depending on political, religious, and just general thinking.
Do we really give thought to why we celebrate Thanksgiving? Are we truly thankful for our blessings, our families, our friends, our talents, our jobs, our homes …Just a thought.
Be safe and be well
The Cranky Crone
Thoughtful comments are greatly appreciated
I’m including the November poem that I wrote for the Denver Gem and Mineral Guild’s newsletter, Tips and Chips. It is an acrostic. And, I must say – I’m thankful that among other things, I’m a poet.
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Thanksgiving 2025
THOUGHTFUL PRAYER
HOPEFUL FUTURES
ALWAYS FOOD ON THE TABLE
NOTHING BUT GOODWILL TOWARD ALL
KINDNESS IN OUR HEARTS AND MINDS
SIMPLE PLEASURES
GREAT HEALTH AND PURITY OF HEART
INVOLVEMENT IN DENVER GEM AND MINERAL GUILD*
VOLUNTEER WHERE NEEDED
INVITATION TO A PEACEFUL LIFE
NUTRITIONAL MEALS
GRATITUDE FOR ALL BLESSINGS
*FEEL FREE TO SUBSTITUTE ANY ORGANIZATION HERE
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