November Thanksgiving

When not overshadowed by a consumeristic and downright "pagan" approach to Christmas, November in the USA is the month of Thanksgiving, a federal holiday celebrated on the fourth (4th) Thursday of the month. It is followed by a Friday that has been designated in remembrance of Native American Indian heritage and culture, but is more commonly known as Black Friday, a day for shopping and consumeristic glee. The "Black" refers to making a profit in retail and keeping the balance sheet out of the red/losses column. Christmas holiday shopping accounts for a huge percentage of revenue for many businesses. In recent years this bargain shopping madness has even crept onto Thanksgiving Day. Cyber Monday, following this four-day weekend, was set aside for internet shopping bargains. One might get the impression that the holiday was all about shopping!

There are several key characteristics to this holiday: mainly food and football and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. The arrival of Santa Claus at the very end of the parade is the old tradition that the Christmas preparations and shopping and decoration came once Thanksgiving was over. Thanksgiving is rooted in the traditions surrounding the first harvest by the Pilgrim settlers of Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts in autumn of 1621. The settlers were joined by and indeed saved from starvation by the native inhabitants. Many traditions regarding Thanksgiving romanticize and glamorize what were very stark and brutal conditions for the Pilgrims and the resulting effects upon the Native indigenous population. Much of the history of settlement and "conquest" of the Americas, with the effects of colonization on the Native American first inhabitants of the land, is quite horrific and shameful. So maybe the "Black Friday" designation actually complements the historical facts. (This take on the title, however, perpetuates the connotations of the word "black" or "dark" with things negative. The business meaning of Black Friday is a very good thing.)

Like those found in many other countries, Thanksgiving is a harvest festival for the United States.  Although a little late in the season, Thanksgiving is a celebration of the season of AUTUMN, with multi-colored tree leaves, ears of corn, squash and dried gourds. It colors are those of Fall: oranges, reds, goldenyellow, and brown. It is also a quasi-religious holiday. It originates from the federal government and does not origin in the Christian Church, although the Pilgrims were Christians who left England under religious persecution. And the holiday fits into the ideal of the USA as predominantly a "Christian" nation. As such, it is a day of prayer.

Above all it is a day of food.  The traditional Thanksgiving feast is a very lavish meal with turkey, potatoes, gravy, yams, cranberries, beans, bread and pumpkin pie. It is usually very heavy in starchy foods. There is a whole variety of regional side-dishes to accompany the turkey.