History of Thanksgiving in the eyes of a Seven Year Old

My seven year old came home from school an explained to me that he was learning about Thanksgiving.Then he asked me what Thanksgiving was?

It got me thinking back throughout history, mankind has celebrated the bountiful harvest with thanksgiving ceremonies. It is my understanding before the establishment of formal religions many ancient farmers believed that their crops contained spirits which caused the crops to grow and die. Many believed that these spirits would be released when the crops were harvested and they had to be destroyed or they would take revenge on the farmers who harvested them. Some of the harvest festivals celebrated the defeat of these spirits.

In The United States In 1621, after a hard and devastating first year in the New World the Pilgrim's fall harvest was very successful and plentiful. There was corn, fruits, vegetables, along with fish which was packed in salt, and meat that was smoke cured over fires. They found they had enough food to put away for the winter.

The Pilgrims had beaten the odds. They built homes in the wilderness, they raised enough crops to keep them alive during the long coming winter, and they were at peace with their Indian neighbors. Their Governor, William Bradford, proclaimed a day of thanksgiving that was to be shared by all the colonists and the neighboring Native American Indians.

The custom of an annually celebrated thanksgiving, held after the harvest, continued through the years. During the American Revolution (late 1770's) a day of national thanksgiving was suggested by the Continental Congress.
In 1817 New York State adopted Thanksgiving Day as an annual custom. By the middle of the 19th century many other states also celebrated a Thanksgiving Day. In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln appointed a national day of thanksgiving. Since then each president has issued a Thanksgiving Day proclamation, usually designating the fourth Thursday of each November as the holiday.

I may be a bit off but I found my self going in great detail such as I did just then with my son. He was just sitting there silently looking at my like I was crazy.

So I apologized to him and said to him we all do not a have the same beliefs or the same traditions.At that moment he interrupted me and said Mom Thanksgiving is just about spending time with Family right?

I teared up and laughed … Lesson learned.

So many everyday things to be thankful for!