The pagan origins of the Thanksgiving celebration can be traced back to ancient harvest festivals that were celebrated by various cultures around the world. These festivals were held to give thanks for a successful harvest and to appease the gods for future bountiful harvests. In ancient Greece, the festival of Thesmophoria was celebrated in honor of Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, and included feasts, processions, and offerings. Similarly, the Roman festival of Ceres, also dedicated to the goddess of agriculture, involved feasting, games, and the offering of fruits and grains. Even in ancient China, the Mid-Autumn Festival was celebrated to give thanks for the harvest and included the sharing of a special meal with family and friends. The Thanksgiving celebration as we know it today in the United States has its roots in the early 17th century when English pilgrims, who were influenced by their European traditions and customs, held a feast to give thanks for their first successful harvest in the New World.
If you want to peer back a little further into the past, you can focus instead (or also) on the Minoan Sun goddess Therasia. She rides through the sky at the height of her power, heating up the world and showing off her glory. She is Fire of Heaven, and all fires on Earth are also hers. So if you want to make a hot day even hotter, light a bonfire in her honor, and wear her sacred color: red.
They didn t so much substitute new deities and rituals for old ones, as simply add them to an ever-more-complicated sacred calendar that was eventually probably really full. Not only does the symbolize the power of life through the sun, but it also serves to keep the light in the darkness at a time when the days will inevitably begin to become shorter.
The Thanksgiving celebration as we know it today in the United States has its roots in the early 17th century when English pilgrims, who were influenced by their European traditions and customs, held a feast to give thanks for their first successful harvest in the New World. This feast, known as the "First Thanksgiving," has been romanticized and is often associated with the peaceful coexistence between the pilgrims and the Native Americans. However, it is important to note that Thanksgiving did not become an official national holiday until 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a day of "thanksgiving and praise" to be celebrated on the last Thursday of November.
Litha: How Pagans Celebrate The Summer Solstice
Litha is a specific celebration that is important to pagans and other celebrants for a variety of reasons. Most people enjoy Litha, which typically is called the Summer Solstice, by celebrating the longest day of the year, which falls on June 21. During this time, the sun is out for the most prolonged period, allowing people to enjoy as much time with daylight as possible. However, the Pagans have a variety of rituals and symbolism attached to Litha that goes beyond a beautiful, long day in the sun.
Litha: How Pagans Celebrate The Summer Solstice[/tweetthis]
The Power of Life
One of the reasons that modern Pagans celebrate Litha is that it represents the potency of life as brought forth by the sun. This is the longest day of the year, and the sun brings about life through plants and warmth that facilitates the comfort of creatures worldwide. One of the most common rituals that are seen on Litha occurs when the sun is at its zenith in the midday sky, the time when the sun is most potent and visible on the day it is out for the longest time. People celebrating Litha will take part in a variety of different rituals including meditation and daytime gatherings at noon to celebrate the power of the sun. Of course, Pagans received a great deal of attention for gathering at Stonehenge in England to celebrate the sunrise on Litha, a rite that has been occurring for centuries.
The daytime rituals of Litha are not only celebrated by Pagans, and have a rich history with other groups such as Native Americans. Various tribes would celebrate Litha in different ways from dancing to special adornments worn in celebration. Even individuals who do recognize any religious significance of Litha will celebrate by participating in festivals to mark the occasion.
A Delicate Balance
Litha is not only seen as a time to celebrate the power of the sun; it is also a time to celebrate the balance between light and dark, and the importance of nature’s cycles in general. Some Pagans will take part in massive bonfire celebrations once the sun goes down. Not only does the symbolize the power of life through the sun, but it also serves to keep the light in the darkness at a time when the days will inevitably begin to become shorter. Thus, the bonfires are a reminder of the need to keep warm and light abundant in the darkest nights that will come in winter.
The celebrations of Litha take place across the globe, with some of the most popular ones occurring in New York City, Stonehenge, Russia, and across South America. The chances are that there will be some form of solstice celebration near most major cities on June 21st!
Litha is a specific celebration that is important to pagans and other celebrants for a variety of reasons. Most people enjoy Litha, which typically is called the Summer Solstice, by celebrating the longest day of the year, which falls on June 21. During this time, the sun is out for the most prolonged period, allowing people to enjoy as much time with daylight as possible. However, the Pagans have a variety of rituals and symbolism attached to Litha that goes beyond a beautiful, long day in the sun.
Although Thanksgiving has become a deeply ingrained cultural tradition in the United States, its pagan origins remind us that the act of giving thanks and expressing gratitude for the bounties of life is a universal human practice that transcends religious and cultural boundaries. The Thanksgiving celebration serves as a reminder to appreciate the blessings in our lives and to come together with loved ones to share a meal and express gratitude..
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