Thankful
It is Thanksgiving Day. Yes, it is another Thanksgiving Day in paradise. Many people travel far to be with their loved ones. I remember in my childhood that we celebrated Thanksgiving by having large chicken, rice, noodles, rice cakes, and definitely Filipino cuisine. My parents did not believe in buying food from delicatessen. My mother always cooked food and we always ate it warm, otherwise, my father would yell at us, and I remember him saying all the time, “Don’t let your food wait for you. Eat while the food is warm!” There was a lot to be thankful for when I was a child as told by my parents and we thanked the Lord always for having three meals a day. I was thankful to my parents for working hard to feed eight children. We prayed for those who were less fortunate.
I had many expectations when I came to the United States of America. I took the phrase, “a place of milk and honey” literally. I never expected to see homelessness and beggars. I thought everyone was living rich and happy. Before Covid-19 hit, during my daily walks in Washington, D.C., I saw homeless individuals covered under thick blankets sleeping on the sidewalks. I found homeless individuals sleeping in a covered shelter, rendering a sore view for people passing by and for those getting on the platform above the Metro Station. Nowadays, despite the homeless program and providing shelter and basic necessities to survive such as food, sanitary and hygiene items, I am still seeing homeless individuals wandering and sleeping on the sidewalks, but none above the Metro platforms, which is a big improvement. Be thankful for your every blessing.
Is there any other holiday more quintessentially American than Thanksgiving? In Plymouth, Massachusetts, an autumn harvest feast in 1621 was shared between colonists and Wampanoag Indians. It was widely acknowledged to be one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations. But some historians argue that it was Florida, not Massachusetts that may have been the true site of the first Thanksgiving in North America. In 1540, according to the Texas Society Daughters of the American Colonists, a Spanish explorer named Francisco Vasquez de Coronado accompanied by 1,500 men in full armor marching from Mexico City heading North in search of gold. As they camped in the Palo Duro Canyon in 1541, Padre Fray Juan de Padilla, a Spanish Catholic priest and missionary called for a feast of prayer and thanksgiving, 79 years before the Plymouth Thanksgiving.
During the American Revolution, the government of the 13 American colonies, and later on the United States designated one or more days of thanksgiving a year. Former President George Washington issued the first Thanksgiving proclamation by the national government of the United States. He called upon American to express their gratitude for the happy conclusion of the war of independence and the successful ratification of the U.S. Constitution. George Washington called for Thursday, December 18 to be set aside for “Solemn Thanksgiving and Praise.” It was the first time that all 13 colonies celebrated a day of thanksgiving in unison. Sarah Josepha Hale, an editor of Gody’s Lady’s Book started championing a national Thanksgiving holiday in 1827 and began her 17-year letter-writing campaign in 1846 to convince American Presidents to make Thanksgiving official. Former President Lincoln finally heeded Hale’s longtime wish and proclaimed the last Thursday of November to be Thanksgiving Day.
Today, we celebrate Thanksgiving in the United States in so many ways, such as getting reunited with our families and having meals together. Turkey has become a Thanksgiving staple and ubiquitous it has become synonymous with the Thanksgiving holiday. According to the National Turkey Federation, nearly 90 percent of Americans eat the big bird, whether roasted, baked, or deep-fried. Traditional foods also include stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. Volunteerism is a common Thanksgiving Day activity, and communities often hold food drives and host free dinners for the less fortunate. Giving has become part of the tradition. Thanksgiving Tuesday is also synonymous with Combined Federal Campaign or CFC. CFC is the only authorized charity in the federal Government agencies. There are about over 20,000 CFC participating charities in the U.S. in 2004 and the national and Federations alone received over 45% or $256 million recorded in campaign contributions in 2004. The contributions had been increasing steadily in recent years. I know because I am part of the organizational campaign. I will always remember our benevolent heroes, most especially our aviators in 101st Airborne Division during Operation Iraqi Freedom. They donated their full incentive pay while serving in the combat zone.
In the United States, we also watch football games played by famous NFL players for charity on Thanksgiving Day. The Dallas Cowboys and Commanders will be playing in 2023 Thanksgiving Day. I would like to thank them personally and will always be their loyal supporter. It seems that the holiday season is made for giving back to the community. People also watch one of the humble origins of an American holiday tradition, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. According to history, Macy’s used to be a 2 block parade, attracting some 2 to 3 million spectators, and the salient parade was a smashing success. Macy entered into a contract with NBC and it became TV friendly. The 2.5 mile parade typically features marching bands, performers, elaborate floats conveying different celebrities and giant balloons shaped like cartoon characters. Balloons made the emblem and symbol of the parade and made it a superstar. It is Macy’s gifts to the people. The Macy’s parade is said to be an unbelievable experience and people must watch in person at least once in their life.
Perhaps most people remember that in the mid-20th century and even earlier, the president of the United States has “pardoned” one or two Thanksgiving turkeys each year, sparing the birds from slaughter and sending them to a farm for retirement. Claims have been made that Abraham Lincoln or Harry Truman were the first presidents to pardon a Thanksgiving turkey. But it was John F. Kennedy who spared the life of a 55-pound gobbler in 1963. While Kennedy was the first to send a gift turkey back to the farm, it was President George W. Bush in 1989 who began the annual White House tradition of officially pardoning a Thanksgiving turkey. The pardoning ritual is also practiced by a number of governors in the U.S.
The family, food, sports, parades, and the blessings we spend the day after thanksgiving are just but some of the things to be thankful for. I am most thankful for my wonderful and loyal family, for a solid team at work, for the gift of life, the energy to continue, my silent freedom of faith, hope, and love for others. I am thankful for friends for their trustworthiness and for what they are. They are very inspiring and good role models for others to emulate. I am very thankful for my editor and friend from Pennsylvania for her dedication to what she does. I am amazed by her brilliance and leadership. She would make an exuberant Commanding General in the military if I’ve met her earlier in life and convinced her to join. She has been amazing and supportive of Silent Freedom, The Indivisible, and very committed to the future. I am thankful for the bounty, and I pray the warriors who are currently in the battlefield, and their family. I am praying that their guardian angels will watch over them and keep them safe, and for their safe return. Freedom is not free. We have to be strong and keep the fight against evil. Our warriors are doing just that, continuously fighting for our freedom so we can sustain our liberty to pursue happiness. On this Thanksgiving Day, I am thankful to my creator and for St. Michael, the Patron Saint of Warriors in Battle, for all the angels and the saints in Heaven, for our superheroes, our guardian angels, our protectors. All we got to do is believe.
To everyone, we thank you for your continuous virtual support to Silent Freedom, the Indivisible, and more to come. We wish you a safe, wonderful thanksgiving day!
Stay well, stay safe. If you see something, say something.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
From the Silent Freedom Team
https://www.history.com/news/thanksgiving-timeline
