Thanksgiving is a day of giving thanks along with commemorating a joint Pilgrims and Natives feast which took place sometime in 1621... a thing of friendship.
Aside from that though, (especially in America) it tends to be a day of celebrating the European Settlers arrival in North America.
The First Nations people, overall, ended up with a raw deal from the new settlers. For a long time they've been treated as third class citizens, and they were of course stripped of all that was theirs as it was made American.
WHY do so many First Nations people then celebrate this holiday?
If you're Native and celebrate it as a Harvest Festival...
do you celebrate it on the statuatory day? Again, why?
I just want to know how people can celebrate a holiday which essentailly represents the fall of their society.
I'm confused by this phenomenon and want real answers.
2006-10-10 04:03:56 · 14 answers · asked by Apple A 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Thanksgiving
No, Mommakaye (et all), I am not trying to start any arguments. As I stated at the end of my question originally, I just really want to know they "whys" of Native Peoples who choose to celebrate this holiday...
Somehow it's comming across to me like a lot of people who've answered this Q so far are really eager to paint my picture with a nasty brush... I'd say unjustly.
I'm trying to understand something... I thought that was one of the main points of Yahoo Answers.
2006-10-11 07:16:15 · update #1
I don't know what school you went to but the school I went to did not teach us the line of swill you are spouting. We were taught that the Feast was a way for the Pilgrims to thank the Native People for their help and teaching them how to live, plant and survive in an environment that was alien to the European Settlers. It also never mentioned another such celebration.
I view what you're saying as an attempt to paint history to your liking so you can TRY to get an argument going or to expound on some hidden agenda or prejdice.
As one of the more well spoken people said in their answer....
"Thanksgiving does not celebrate the fall of any society. You should get that chip off your shoulder"
2006-10-11 05:10:39 · answer #1 · answered by mommakaye 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
You want real answers? You can't handle real answers.
Some people can make anything into something bad. Where in the wide, wide world of sports is it written that Thanksgiving celebrates the European settlers arrival in North America?
Thanksgiving was declared a holiday by Abe Lincoln to celebrate the harvest, nothing more, nothing less. FDR made it the 3rd Thursday in November.
You either read to much or read to little, besides most American Indians as all other Americans get it as a paid holiday. I think that if any American Indians think like you do, they should just tell their employers that they will not accept, and will not ask for pay for this holiday and if they do get it they should give it back. That will fix them pilgrims.
2006-10-10 04:24:15 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
The New England colonists were accustomed to regularly celebrating “Thanksgivings,” days of prayer thanking God for blessings such as military victory or the end of a drought. The U.S. Continental Congress proclaimed a national Thanksgiving upon the enactment of the Constitution, for example. Yet after 1798 the new U.S. Congress left Thanksgiving declarations to the states—some objected to the national government's involvement in a religious observance, Southerners were slow to adopt a New England custom, and others took offense over the day's being used to hold partisan speeches and parades. A national Thanksgiving Day seemed more like a lightning rod for controversy than a unifying force.
2006-10-13 17:33:25 · answer #3 · answered by Britannica Knowledge 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As an American Indian, I don't see any problem with celebrating Thanksgiving. I consider it more of an American holiday than a celebration of the settlers coming to America. I see it as a time to be with my family and have some good food, not as a time to dredge up past injustices.
2006-10-10 04:14:42 · answer #4 · answered by luvdatbeard 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Although there are traditions behind most if not all holidays. What's wrong with just accepting certain days as days set aside for having fun ?
Many atheists put up Christmas trees and give presents. We all like Halloween. St Pats day is celebrated by people who have no connection with Ireland.
Thanksgiving is a day for turkey and pumpkin pie. If you have to analyse every little thing, you're missing all of the fun.
2006-10-10 09:18:29 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
As americans celebrate Thanksgiving each year, we hope they will retain the original gratefulness to God displayed by the pilgrims and many other founding fathers of this great country. It is to remember those courageous pilgrims that followed their dreams into the unknown to start this country to growing what it is today. They celebrated for 3 days in Dec., but we celebrate it on the third thursday of Nov., which was set aside by George Washington in 1789, which was a proclamation to give Thanksgiving to God for all americans and our new country. Now, with that said, if you can't understand that, then you are really up a creek with no paddle................
2006-10-10 04:42:13 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
I have NEVER heard that it is celebrating European settlers arrival. That's not at all what it's about. That "first thanksgiving" was not even called Thanksgiving and any similar meals or get togethers did not happen again for a long time.
Thanksgiving does not celebrate the fall of any society. You should get that chip off your shoulder,
2006-10-10 06:42:13 · answer #7 · answered by KathyS 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Well I cant speak for Native peoples but as Apache
we'll take any excuse for a party/dance/drumming...
It does fall close to our harvest festival anyway
as for fall of our people that happened back when the Spanish and dutch first got here spreading their gems around.
the Pilgrims were more about white folks who needed us poor red skins to show them how to grow food, hunt and fish for themselves...
of course living out in the southwest my nation didn't know about this until public ed was forced on us and many of us shipped to BIA schools. to us it wasn't real anyway just another story like the Easter bunny but we got good food and a nice break out of it.
as I grew older it didn't hold any meaning other than if I worked that day I got double over-time!
still it's a national Holiday a time to spend with your family and reflect on your life and year...
white or not it's a good idea
2006-10-10 04:31:10 · answer #8 · answered by BigBadWolf 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I fail to understand why people do celebrate thanksgiving, it was not a pleasant event for the indians when the pilgrims came here, they robbed, pilgaged ,stole and kept the indians in slavery , and for this you celebtate a special day !!!!!, come on people wake up, know your history...dont be lambs to the slaughter...not everything that glitters is gold.
2006-10-12 03:28:54 · answer #9 · answered by petmar4 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I dunno, because people do. My family is atheist and still does Christmas, so... Many people do Thanksgiving as just a reason to get together with loved ones and have a feast, I don't ever remember thinking of the "reason" beyond that all that much...
2006-10-10 13:54:03 · answer #10 · answered by Indigo 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋