Basic HTML Version
Thanksgiving
Day
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU?
To many Americans Thanksgiving Day means
sumptuous turkey dinners, family reunions and football
games. Most seem to forget that the very name of
this trad it ional holiday means to give
thanks. But give thanks to whom? For what? And why?
by
Eugene M . Walter
1
N
1630 the little 350-ton
Arbella
was plowing west–
ward through tbe rough Atlantic to the Massachu–
setts coast. From íts deck John Winthrop preached
a striking sermon.
uwee shall be," prophesied Winthrop, "as a Citty
upon a Hill , the Eies of all people are uppon us; soe
that if wee shall deale falsely with our god in this worke
we have undertaken and soe cause him to withdrawe his
present help from us, wee shall be made a story and a
by-word through the world."
PLAIN TRUTH October-November 1974
Those are remarkable words! They indicate th at a t
least sorne of the early colonists sensed tha t their en–
deavors were being fa vored by the hand of God.
They seemed to understand tha t they were being
given very special opportunities, special blessing - and
special responsibilities. For all this, the indications are,
sorne were grateful a t first.
In 162 1 the first American thanksgiving was held
by Plymouth colony.
lt
was observed in gratitude for the
ending of a difficult year and a bount iful harvest. T he
23