Thanksgiving should be celebrated more often

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 Celebrating with family and friends and taking 

 time to express gratitude should be more 

common.




Each year, Americans celebrate Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November (Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving on the second Monday of October).

The holiday was first celebrated in the early 15th century in what is now Massachusetts. The English colonists (known as Pilgrims) of Plymouth celebrated a harvest festival alongside the native Wampanoag people in 1621. From then on, the Pilgrims would continue celebrating Thanksgiving; it was a time to give thanks to God for favours they had received, share food with their community and enjoy themselves. Thanksgiving was eventually made a national holiday in the USA and is still celebrated to this day.

Even though I am not American and don’t live in the States, I really like the idea of Thanksgiving. Having a holiday where family and friends can reunite and eat delicious food (roast turkey, apple pie and stuffing sound SO good) is a great idea. It’s not unique; families can do that over other occasions, such as Christmas or Easter, but the fact that Thanksgiving is specifically about giving thanks is what makes it special to me. Taking time to be grateful for everything in your life is important. Having a special occasion to give thanks to God for life and any blessings you may have received is great.

So, even if you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, I’d encourage you to take time to appreciate the gift of your life and express gratitude for any good in your life: be it material blessings or the presence of special people in your life. Doing so over a good meal with family and friends also doesn't hurt.

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