The first Thanksgiving was held in the fall of 1621 to celebrate the Pilgrims’ first corn harvest. They called it a Harvest Festival.
President George Washington issued the first national Thanksgiving proclamation in 1789 to celebrate the end of the American Revolution.
President Abraham Lincoln established Thanksgiving as a permanent national holiday in 1863, and our American celebration of Thanksgiving has been celebrated on the fourth Thursday of each November since 1941.
These days are officially designated national occasions for giving thanks to God. These facts, although familiar to us, remain a piece of American history, they are remembered and celebrated by us on Thanksgiving Day.
This past year has been a year of change for country with government shut downs, loss of income by others has been daunting for people. Some people may not be home for Thanksgiving due to flight cancellations and delays.
Given these terrible occurrences, why should people be thankful on this Thanksgiving? Perhaps because they were lucky enough to live through it. Many first responders and ordinary people in the midst of these tragedies pulled together, helped those in need, and gave them hope. Another reason to be thankful.
Giving thanks for some is a daily routine. Why? because it helps us face our day with courage, hope and less fear. Many of us say a prayer of thanks to our Creator before we eat a meal. Giving thanks is mentioned in the Bible at least 140 times. The word praise, which is similar to thanksgiving, is used many more times in Scripture. Praise means to appreciate, to prize, to consider precious, worthy of honor and/or thanksgiving. (Jerold Aust, Nov 18, 2005).
Our world is full of self-indulgence. We buy fast cars, we buy the latest computers, buy the latest fashions and eat at the best restaurants. Sometimes we forget how different things could be and take our gentle existence for granted, yet it can disappear in the blink of an eye — just ask the fire victims in California and Colorado. In Colorado as of mid-November 2025, there have been over 59,000 fires burning more than 4.8 million acres. Good fortune is not a right, nor is it guaranteed. We should be thankful for the goodness in our lives whether great or modest.
Do we need a national holiday to give thanks? Yes, I think that we do. In between the turkey and the yams, family and friends gather together in unity and grace. They are thankful for each other and what each person brings to their lives.
There are those that we know that are going through hardships this Thanksgiving, and because of this the blessings in our lives are not universally shared. There are those this year who have found out they are suffering from disease or have lost a loved one. Many are suffering from depression, anxiety or some other form of mental illness and some have been deployed militarily and will not be spending Thanksgiving with their families. These people need encouragement, kindness, hope and a helping hand.
If you want to serve or provide others with an act of kindness but cannot think of ways to do so, here are some ideas:
• Donate a turkey or ham to a family in need or the food kitchen.
• Bake cookies or a pie for your local first responders.
• Let someone else have your parking space or let them into traffic.
• Offer to shovel snow for a neighbor.
• Send a card to a soldier overseas.
• Wish your co-workers a happy Thanksgiving and tell them you appreciate them.
• Give blood.
• Pay forward for someone’s coffee
• Trade your seat on the airplane so a family can sit together.
Have a very safe and Happy Thanksgiving with the love of family and friends. To quote Tiny Tim from Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”: “God bless us each and every one.”
Hence then, the article about opinion sandi squicquero good reasons and ways to celebrate thanksgiving was published today ( ) and is available on GreeleyTribune ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( (Opinion) Sandi Squicquero: Good reasons and ways to celebrate Thanksgiving )
Also on site :