The History of Thanksgiving Day.docx

The History of Thanksgiving Day.docx

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TheHistoryofThanksgivingDay

36.TheHistoryofThanksgivingDay

IntheUnitedStates,

thefourthThursdayinNovemberiscalledThanksgivingDay.

Onthisday,Americansgivethanksfortheblessings

theyhaveenjoyedduringtheyear.

Thanksgivingisusuallyafamilyday,

celebratedwithbigdinnersandhappyreunions.

ThefirstAmericanThanksgivingwasheldinPlymouth,Massachusettsin1621.

In17thcentury,agroupofPilgrimsleftEnglandtoexploretheNewWorld.

ItwasinSeptemberof1620whentheirshipcalledthe“Mayflower”

leftportwith102men,women,andchildrenonboard.

TheylandedinProvincetownharborafter65daysatsea.

ThePilgrimswerepoorlytrained

andpoorlyequippedtocopewithlifeinthewilderness.

Duringtheirfirstwinterinthenewland,

theysufferedtremendously.

Poorfood,hardwork,infectiousdiseases,

andbitterlycoldweatherkilledabouthalfofthem.

Bytheendofthisterriblefirstwinter,

onlyabout50remainedalive.

Onespringmorningin1621,

anIndianwalkedintothelittlevillageofPlymouth

andintroducedhimselfinafriendlyway.

Later,hebroughttheIndianchief,Massasoit,

whogavegiftstothepeopleandofferedassistance.

TheIndiansofMassasoit’stribetaughtthePilgrimshowtohunt,

fish,andgrowfood.

TheytaughtthePilgrimstousefishforfertilizerinplantingcorn,

pumpkins,andbeans.

BecauseofthishelpfromtheIndians,

thePilgrimshadagoodharvest.

GovernorWilliamBradfordwasfollowinganancienttraditionwhen,

inthefallof1621,

heissuedaproclamationestablishingadayofthanksgivingtoGod.

Thegovernoralsodecidedtousethisreligiousoccasion

tostrengthenthebondoffriendship

betweenthePilgrimsandtheirIndianneighbors.

SoheinvitedChiefMassasoitandhisbravestosharetheThanksgivingfeast.

TheIndiansgladlyacceptedandsentfivedeerahead.

ThePilgrimmenwenthuntingandreturnedwithturkeyandotherwildgame.

ThewomenofPlymouthprepareddeliciousdishesfromcorn,

cranberries,squashandpumpkins.

37.ChristmasCarols

Usuallyatthistimeoftheyear,

ChristmascarolscanbeheardalloverNewYork.

Theywillwaftfromanystreetandlane,

evenfromthedirtieststationofthedirtiestroute,Route7.

Manypeoplehavetochangetrainsthere.

Whenduskfalls,thecommutershavetolineuptomoveupstairs.

Thetrainistoclimeupandontotheoverpass

anddriveitswaythroughthisdirtyandmessyblock.

Peeringdownwardsandintothewindowsofsomeextremelydilapidatedbuilding,

passengersmaysometimesseesomemysterious-lookingorientals

dressedinJapanese-styledarksuitspracticingkarate.

Lookingfurtherdownwards,

theymayseeanelderlyblackwomanwearingadirtyfloweryskirt,

andholdingabigplasticbag.

Breathingwithmuchdifficulty,sheistotteringalong.

Ifonehappenstobeinadreamyandimaginativemood,

hemightthinkhehasblunderedintoHollywood

andhappenstobewatchingthemakingofacrimefilm.

ThisisAmericatoo!

Atthesight,some“ragstoriches”dreamersmightburstintotears.

Theotherday,Christmasfastapproaching,

Iwaschangingtrainshere.

Itwascoldandwet.Peopleinchedforward,

intendingtochangetoRoute7.

ThenIheardthevoiceofachild,

whowassinging“SilentNight”totheaccompanimentofasmallaccordion.

Theywerestandingatthefootofthestairs,anelderlymanandalittleboy.

Holdingalittleredtincaninonehand,

theboywasringinganironbellwiththeother.

Hislittlefacethatappearedabovehisblackovercoatwasflushedinthecoldair.

Somepassengersproducedcoinsanddroppedthemwithatinkleintothecan.

Inthebone-chillingdusk,

thebellkeptringing,

andthechildsinging,loudandclear.

38.TakingChildrentoCollege

It’sSeptemberagain.

Again,Iseethedifferentfacialexpressionsoftheparents

takingtheirchildrentocollege.

It’smostlythemaleparentswhoperformthisduty.

Sometimesbothparentscome.

Thehighlypersonalizedfaceswhichusuallydifferfromeachotherinathousand

andonewaysfadeatthismomentintoeachother,

anddisplaythesamelook:

fatigue,exhaustion,

thetimidnessandcautiousnessofanewcomer,

andtheconcernednessandfearthattheiroffspringmightbetreatedunfairly.

Suchlongandexhaustingjourneysoverhere!

Somanycomplicatedandtime-consumingprocedures!

Theycorrodepeople’sélan.

Thegleefulnessanddizzinessusuallyfoundin

“eighteen-year-oldyoungsterswho’vemadeit”

disappearaltogether.

Closeontheheelsoftheirparents,

theyshufflefromplacetoplaceinthecampus.

Togothroughoneformality,

theyhavetowalklongdistancesandaskmanyquestionsofmanypeople,

andtheirparentshavetosmilepolitelyallthetime.

Everywheretheyhavetolineupandtopay.

Thesunbeingblazing,theyfindthemselvesperspiringallover.

Theyhavetositbytheroadsideforarest

andsatisfytheirthirstbydrinkingbottledwater

whosepricessoarbecauseofscarcity.

Nomatterhowdignifiedandclassyonemaylookonotherdays,

onehasto,forthesakeofone’schildren,

humbleoneself,putupwithinconveniences,

andshowone’sbestsmilestofindoutwhattodo.

Isawafathercarryingahugebed-roll.

Bentwiththeheavyburdenonhisshoulder,

hehadtostrainforalookaheadinordertoseethewayforward.

Hisson,headhanginglow,followedbehindwithonlyasmallbag.

Itwon’tbelongbeforehisboywillhelpthegirlswiththeirbags.

Ialsosawafatherandsoncomingnearhandinhandfromtheforkofaroad.

Amereglancetoldmethattheyarefromoneofthepoorruralareas.

BothworecheapT-shirtsandhadcrew-cuts.

Evensmallerinbuild,theoldmanhasgrayinghairandatan.

Anarroganttaxispedtowardsthemandwasonthepointofknockingdowntheoldster.

Thepoormanquicklyjumpedaside.

Itwasanearescape.

Then,onlythen,washeseparatedfromhisson.

Whenthecarshotpast,theyjoinedhandsagain,

continuedontheirway,eachbeingtheother’ssupport.

Thesightnearlybroughttearstomyeyes.

39.TheWind

Wenoticethewindwhenitseemscruel,

whenthetreesturnawayfromit,

anditcutsintoourhearts.

“Certainwindswillmakemen’stemperbad,”saidGeorgeEliot.

InIsrael,thereisonekindofwindthatbringsirritability,

headaches,sicknessandrespiratorydifficulties.

InGermany,awarm,drywindissaidtoblowheartachesdownfromtheAlps.

InSouthernCalifornia,

theSantaAnaisassociatedwithanincreaseindepressionanddomesticviolence.

Scientistshavetriedwithoutsuccess

toidentifyphysiologicalreasonsforthesereactions.

Everyoneagrees,however,thatdrywindsliketheSantaAna,

thecoldnortherlywindinFranceandthewindinGermanyandSwitzerland

seemtohavenegativeeffectsonourmentalandphysicalwell-being.

Onwindydays,playgroundfights,

suicidesandheartfailuresaremorefrequent.

InGeneva,trafficaccidentsincreasewhenawindcalledthebiseblows.

Attherequestofpatients,

someSwissandGermanhospitalspostponesurgery

whenthewindblowsoffthenorthernslopesoftheAlps.

Itishumantoaskwhatisbehindthewind.

ItiseasytopersonifythewindasthebreathofGod.

Theactoftakingwindintoourlungsiswhatgivesuslife.

TheJews,Arabs,RomansandGreeks

alltooktheirwordforspiritfromthewordforwind.

Eskimowomenoncechasedthewindfromtheirhousewithclubs,

whilethemenshotitwithriflestokilltheevilspirit

theybelievedrodeitsgusts.

Butourday-to-daylivesarenolongerblownonthewinds.

Wedonotidentifywindwithspiritanymore.

Thatisgoodforcommerce,

butitexactsacosttothehumaneyeandheart.

Thewindblowsussimplepleasures.

Therearewindslappingatshores,

bathingusinscentsofcoconutandspice,

beckoningusfurther.

40.FeatherintheWind

Acertaingoodwoman

onedaysaidsomethingthathurtherbestfriendofmanyyears.

Sheregrettedimmediately

andwouldhavedoneanythingtohavetakenthewordsback.

Whatshesaidhurtthefriendsomuch

thatthisgoodwomanwasherselfhurtforthepainshecaused.

Inanefforttoundowhatshehaddone,

shewenttoanolder,wiserwomaninthevillage,

explainedhersituation,andaskedforadvice.

Listeningtoher,

theolderwomansensedtheyoungerwoman’sdistressandknewshemusthelpher.

Shealsoknewshecouldneveralleviateherpain,

butshecouldteach.

Sheknewtheoutcomewoulddependsolelyonthecharacteroftheyoungerwoman.

Shesaid,“Tonight,takeyourbestfeatherpillows

andputasinglefeatheronthedoorstepofeachhouseintownbeforethesunrises.”

Theyoungwomanhurriedhometoprepareforherchore,

eventhoughthefeatherpillowswereverydeartoher.

Allnightlong,shelaboredaloneinthecold.

Finallytheskywasgettinglight,

sheplacedthelastfeatheronthestepsofthelasthouse.

Justasthesunrose,shereturnedtotheolderwoman.

“Now,”saidthewisewoman,

“Gobackandrefillyourpillowswiththefeatheryouhaveputonthesteps.

Theneverythingwillbeasitwasbefore.”

“Youknowthat’simpossible!

ThewindblewawayeachfeatherasfastasIplacedthemonthedoorsteps!

”

Theyoungwomanwassurprised.

“That’strue,”saidtheolderwoman.

“Neverforget.Eachofyourwordsislikeafeatherinthewind.

Oncespoken,noamountofeffort,

regardlesshowheartfeltorsincere,canneverreturnthemtoyourmouth.

Chooseyourwordswellandguardthemmostofallinthepresenceofthoseyoulove.”

41.ProblemsandOpportunities

Weliveinanunusualtimewithcorporatedownsizing,restructuring,

andtheincreaseinglobalcompetition.

Someviewthesetimesasproblematic;

othersseethe