Thanksgiving: The Key to Happiness

Thanksgiving as a festival holiday has a long tradition in countries and cultures throughout the world. In the United States, Thanksgiving Day is most often traced to the Pilgrims and Puritans who came to the U.S. in the 1620s from England.

In 1621, at Plymouth, Massachusetts, after a good harvest, the Pilgrims celebrated with a tribe of Native Americans, the Wampanoags, who had assisted them in their struggle to find a life in the new world. Thankful for all the blessings of that past year, the celebration was an expression of gratitude.

Thanksgiving proclamations by church leaders, as well as political leaders, perdured through the centuries. George Washington, as president of the United States, announced that November 26, 1789, would be “a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God.”

In 1863, Abraham Lincoln proclaimed that a national Thanksgiving Day would be celebrated in all states on the last Thursday in November, expressing gratitude for the good fortune of the Union and its military successes. He called on the American people to “fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation …”

Today, Thanksgiving Day is most often a day of celebration of family with good food, football and even parades. Most look forward to a great feast of turkey, pumpkin pie, potatoes and stuffing. Although it is largely thought of as a secular holiday, for Christians, the occasion has a much more profound meaning, touching the very core of their spiritual beliefs.

Thanksgiving is at the heart of the Christian message: “Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15). As followers of Christ, Christians are thankful for the love and mercy of God. The life, death and resurrection of Christ is the greatest of all gifts. As the popular TV commercial says, “Only pay for what you need: Liberty, Liberty, Liberty.” What Christians celebrate is what we really need, eternal life, has already been paid for - -by the life, death and resurrection of Christ.

Christians celebrate Thanksgiving every time they go to Mass. In fact, the word “eucharist” comes from the Greek word for thanksgiving (echaristia). Gratitude to the Lord brings a fulfilling and joyful life as we share our gratitude and blessings with others, especially the less fortunate.

As we approach Thanksgiving Day, let each one of us plan to spend quality time with our loved ones as a way of living out our gratitude to God. Perhaps we can also donate to charity, volunteer to assist the poor or help the less fortunate. Thanksgiving is the key to happiness.

Fr. Ollie Williams, C.S.C.
Associate Professor
Management & Organization