Have a happy Thanksgiving Day!

For flowers that bloom about our feet;
For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet;
For song of bird, and hum of bee;
For all things fair we hear or see,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee!
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thanksgiving Day Around the World

Thanksgiving is essentially a harvest related festival. It celebrates communal harmony marked as a sense of gratitude people feel for all the good things in life. This is done by offering prayers, gifting your near and dear ones. The fourth Thursday in the month of November is marked for the yearly celebration Though it is said to have been originated in America, a number of other countries celebrate harvest related festivals. They are observed with different names and in different seasons.
Harvest related festivals, all the over the world are characterized with lot of fun and merrymaking. Each region has its unique customs and traditions to jubilate the occasion. The celebration of Thanksgiving will be incomplete without the legendary Turkey. It derives its name from the ‘turk turk’ sounds it makes when scared. Turkey was at one time being considered as the national symbol of America. Benjamin Franklin felt that turkey was the right choice because it was a good runner and had a sharp sight. A bald eagle later became the national symbol of America.
This is the time for relatives living in different places to come together and celebrate.

The first Thanksgiving Story

A long, long time ago the Pilgrims made an ocean trip

From England to America in just one little ship.

That ship was called the „Mayflower,” and it was snug and warm

And kept the Pilgrims safe and sound through every wind and storm.

But after lots and lots of weeks of sailing on the sea,

The sight of land made all of them as happy as could be.

The land they saw was Plymouth Rock on Massachusetts Bay,

And they decided then and there that’s where they all would stay.

Of course, there was a lot of work to get all settled in,

But each and every Pilgrim was quite eager to begin.

And they were lucky, for it wasn’t long until they met

A very friendly Indian whose name was Samoset.

Now Samoset and all his Indian friends were kind and good

And tried to help the Pilgrims out in every way they could.

That spring they even helped in clearing land and planting seed.

So the Pilgrims would be sure of having food to fill their needs.

All summer long the Pilgrims kept as busy as could be

Tending to their growing crops so very carefully.

And then when it was finally time for harvesting that fall,

They found to their delight that they had lots and lots for all.

Of course, they were excited that they’d had such great success,

And they planned a celebration just to show their thankfulness.

They thought they’d fix a dinner that would really be delicious

Where there’d be huge amounts of everybody’s favorite dishes.

But they didn’t really feel as though the food was all their own,

For they knew without the Indians it never would of grown.

And so they asked their special friends if they would join the fun,

And Samoset and all the others said they’d gladly come.

For days ahead the Pilgrims started getting things all set

To make sure there was nothing they could possibly forget.

Then when the big day came, they set the tables up just so,

Then spread out all the food, and it was really quite a show.

At long last it was time to eat, and they all said a prayer

To offer thanks for that God had given them to share.