Thanksgiving, a holiday widely celebrated in the United States, is often associated with family gatherings, feasting, and expressions of gratitude. However, its origins and historical significance reveal a more complex narrative. While Thanksgiving is commonly understood as a commemoration of the first harvest celebrated by the Pilgrims and Native Americans in 1621, some argue that the holiday has deeper roots in pagan rituals. Paganism refers to various pre-Christian religious practices, often associated with nature worship and polytheism. Many ancient cultures, including those in Europe and the Americas, held harvest festivals as a way to honor and give thanks for a bountiful harvest. These festivals were often accompanied by feasting, merriment, and religious rituals.
Paganism is used as a corner stone argument for not observing Christmas, Easter, Halloween and many other things, we should have a solid understanding of the word pagan and scriptural teachings about paganism if we are to use it to define our religious beliefs. The original meaning of the word "pagan" was "villager, rustic, civilian", but here's the modern dictionary definition of the word.
As a totem animal, Turkey reminds us of the importance of our relationship with the land as the land is the source of our nourishment and sustenance. Scripture is clear that we are not to imitate or copy the religions of the world, and commanded us saying You shall not behave thus toward the Lord your God.
These festivals were often accompanied by feasting, merriment, and religious rituals. In Europe, the Celtic festival of Samhain, celebrated at the end of October, is regarded as a precursor to modern-day Halloween and Thanksgiving. Samhain marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter.
Why we should not celebrate Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is generally taught as an acceptable holiday to celebrate in the larger congregations of God. But this acceptance is based primarily on the belief that the Pilgrims created Thanksgiving. But the origins of Thanksgiving are a combination of superstition, myths and false Christianity, similar to Christmas, Easter, Halloween.
Summary of this paper
- Thanksgiving was not started by the Pilgrims, this is now a well known fact, and is widely reported by historians as a myth
- Two separate thanksgiving celebrations were brought to America, one a religious event, the other was a harvest festival
- The harvest festival was a pagan celebration, the religious thanksgiving was from the Church of England
- The King of England proclaimed days of thanksgiving during the American colonial period, without the influence of Pilgrims or Puritans
- In the 1800s Sarah Hale marketed the idea of a universal national American thanksgiving holiday that combined the religious thanksgivings with the harvest festival thanksgivings
- Sarah Hale specifically and repeatedly stated that she intended to combine God's harvest festivals with Thanksgiving Day
- The cornucopia is a Greek & Roman religious symbol that can be traced back directly to the time of Jesus and further into the past
- Removing the pagan elements does not change the pagan origins of any holiday
- Our current justifications for observing Thanksgiving Day are based on misinformation and myths
It was believed to be a time when the veil between the living and the dead was thinner, allowing spirits to interact with humans. Bonfires were lit, and offerings were made to appease these spirits and ensure a prosperous year ahead. In the Americas, Native American tribes also had their own harvest festivals prior to the arrival of European settlers. The Wampanoag tribe, for example, held ceremonies similar to Thanksgiving, expressing gratitude for a successful harvest. These festivals often included dancing, singing, and sharing a meal with the community. When European settlers, including the Pilgrims, arrived in North America, they encountered these Native American traditions and incorporated them into their own celebrations. The first Thanksgiving feast in 1621 was, therefore, a blending of Pilgrim and Native American customs, emphasizing communal feasting and gratitude for the harvest. Over time, Thanksgiving became an important national holiday in the United States. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed it a national day of "thanksgiving and praise" during the Civil War. Thanksgiving became associated with notions of national unity and gratitude for the blessings of freedom and abundance. While Thanksgiving is no longer observed as a religious or pagan festival, its origins are undeniably intertwined with ancient harvest celebrations and the practices of indigenous cultures. Today, Thanksgiving serves as a time for people to come together, express gratitude, and reflect on the history and diversity of the United States..
Reviews for "From Pagan Solstice Celebrations to Thanksgiving: The Evolution of Harvest Festivals"
1. John - 2 stars - I don't understand why we still celebrate Thanksgiving. It is a pagan holiday rooted in the colonization and oppression of indigenous people. Instead of glorifying this history, we should acknowledge the suffering and atrocities that came with it. The idea of giving thanks is not exclusive to this holiday, and we can find better ways to express gratitude without endorsing a problematic past.
2. Sarah - 1 star - Thanksgiving is a holiday that perpetuates a false narrative and tries to whitewash the brutal history of colonization. It is a reminder of the genocide committed against Native Americans and the continued marginalization they face today. I do not support celebrating a holiday that ignores or diminishes the suffering of an entire community. We should be educating ourselves and others about the true history of Thanksgiving and standing in solidarity with indigenous people instead.
3. David - 2 stars - Thanksgiving is a holiday that promotes overconsumption and extravagance, contradicting the values of gratitude and humility it supposedly represents. The focus on food and shopping overshadow the opportunity to reflect and give thanks genuinely. Additionally, its origins as a pagan harvest festival don't resonate with me as a modern-day secular person. I would prefer to skip the festivities or find a more meaningful way to show appreciation without the excessive commercialization.
4. Lisa - 1 star - I find Thanksgiving to be an outdated and oppressive holiday that perpetuates stereotypes and cultural appropriation. The idea of a friendly feast between the Pilgrims and Native Americans ignores the violence and injustice that followed colonization. It is a painful reminder of the ongoing struggles faced by indigenous communities, and I cannot join in celebrating a holiday that glosses over their history and contributions.