Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in October and November in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil, Germany and the Philippines. It celebrates the harvest and other blessings of the past year. Americans generally believe that their Thanksgiving is modelled on a 1621 harvest feast shared by the English colonists (Pilgrims) of Plymouth and the Wampanoag people.
Thanksgiving is all about reflecting on blessings and acknowledging gratitude. President George Washington's 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation, "Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favour".
Why do Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving? There are different factors. First, William Bradford, the governor of Plymouth in 1621, wrote that wild turkeys were part of the original meal that was shared between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians. As Thanksgiving became a more prominent celebration, turkeys continued to be plentiful, which made them a convenient main course.
Thanksgiving is not really celebrated in Samoa. Every day should be Thanksgiving day. If we can open our eyes the next morning, have running water, health, a car that takes us to work, and a job that supports our families and fa'alavelave then we have fewer complaints and much to be thankful for. In current events, no other nation is bombing us, killing our babies in our sleep, destroying our hospital or shooting at us daily. There is much to be grateful for.
