Page 15 - ARUBA TODAY

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LOCAL Thursday 23 November 2017

Thanksgiving Tradition

ORANJESTAD - While as Christmas. In fact, more
Thanksgiving is one of the people in the US celebrate
biggest events in the Amer- Thanksgiving than they do
ican calendar, for Europe- Christmas.
ans it’s always been a little Thanksgiving Day is a secu-
bit of a mystery. What is it lar holiday in a country that
actually about? The most officially separates church
exposure many of us get and state so this probably
to the holiday is by watch- makes sense.
ing American television se- Thanksgiving can be
ries’ Thanksgiving-themed traced back to 1621 where
episodes - and even those refugees from England,
tend to leave us in the dark. known as Pilgrims, invited
the local Native Americans
This year Thanksgiving falls to a harvest feast after they
the day before Black Friday, experienced a successful
November 23rd.Thanksgiv- season of produce growth.
ing Day traditionally kicks But it wasn’t just the eco-
off the ‘holiday season’ in nomic drive that allowed
the United States. The day the Pilgrims to prosper.
was set in stone by Presi- It was their devotion to God Although the turkey is ‘the relevant to Thanksgiving? troit has played every year
dent Franklin D. Roosevelt and His laws. And that’s face’ of Thanksgiving now- In 1934, the University of De- since.
in 1939 and approved what Thanksgiving is really adays, the first Thanksgiving troit hosted the first Thanks- Today people from Cana-
by Congress in 1941. FDR all about. did not even include tur- giving Day football game da, the United States, some
changed it from Abraham The Pilgrims recognized key, but rather a three-day between Detroit Lions and of the Caribbean islands,
Lincoln’s designation as the that everything we have is feast of goose, lobster, cod the Chicago Bears. and Liberia continue the
last Thursday in November a gift from God – even our and deer. Besides turkey The game became the first- Thanksgiving tradition in
(because there are some- sorrows. people love stuffing and ever network broadcast their homes – or when on
times five Thursdays in the Their Thanksgiving tradition pies – pumpkin, pecan, event in the US and was vacation in their holiday
month). was established to honor apple and sweet potato as so popular that a Thanks- destination.
Many Americans think it God and thank Him for His the traditional desserts. giving Day football game Aruba Today wishes you a
of it as just as important blessings and His grace. Why is American football continues today – and De- Happy Thanksgiving.q