Thanksgiving Exposed
18th November 2009
This is just a spontaneous observation in response to the apparent rampant historical ignorance about the holiday of Thanksgiving. There seems to be a general belief that Thanksgiving was a once-in-a-century lucky thought on the part of the Pilgrims that arose from their unique conditions.
NOPE.
Thanksgiving was a celebration of the traditional harvest festival, Martinmas, that had been going on in England since it became Christian. Being Dissenters, the Pilgrims wouldn’t have use such a ‘Popish’ term as the traditional one, but they would celebrate the feast nevertheless, just as modern atheists will wish you ‘Happy Holidays’ rather than the more offensive ‘Merry Christmas’ but they’ll still say something. Remember that this took place in 1621, prior to the adoption of the Gregorian calendar by the English over a century later, and what they would consider November 11 (Martinmas) we would consider November 21, which is right around the current politically-determined date for Thanksgiving.
Just in case you were wondering.