By: April King & Alli Harlan
We caught up with several members of the community, and asked “What’s Thanksgiving mean to you?”
In 1621, the Plymouth colonists from England and the Native American Wampanoag people shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies.
For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states.
It wasn’t until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November.
But the holiday is not without controversy.
Many Americans—including people of Native American ancestry—believe Thanksgiving celebrations mask the true history of oppression and bloodshed that underlies the relationship between European settlers and Native Americans.
Some traditions that Ohioans participate in during this holiday are:
- Run a Thanksgiving Themed 5K
- Pass on a favorite recipe
- Put up the Christmas tree
- Black Friday shopping
- Watch football on television
- Put together a puzzle
- Eat lots and lots of food
If you are looking to start a new tradition with your family, here are a few unique ideas:
- Thankfulness table runner → Spread a long sheet of paper across your dinner table and leave room for each person to write a thank you note on the paper.
- Thankfulness Garland → Take a string and put it across the room, cut out leaves, and let each person write a note. Hang each leaf up with a clothespin.
- Turkey Tattoing → Using a kitchen propane torch, create a design on your turkey or ham.
- Hand Turkeys → Trace your hand on a piece of paper and then cut it out. With the thumb being the head of the turkey, have the ‘wings’ be things you are thankful for.
From the staff at V-Teck Communications: Happy Thanksgiving, spend time with family, and relax during this holiday!