Most of us are familiar with the story of Thanksgiving, or at least some variation of it.
A group of pilgrims were was struggling to survive in a strange new land where they knew nothing about what it took to live there.
After watching the settlers suffer in their new setting, the Native Americans took pity on the pilgrims and invited them to a feast and taught them how to survive in their new world.
What some people choose to leave out is the fact that the Pilgrims would go on to wreak havoc on the lives of those very same Native Americans through illness, taking their land and weapons that were incomparable to anything the Native American people had.
So why should we celebrate a holiday with such a problematic origin? Well, maybe we shouldn’t. But I think
the real meaning behind Thanksgiving is something worth celebrating, even if the history is not. Thanksgiving is about focusing on what you are thankful for and surrounding yourself with loved ones, not to mention all the great food.
Unfortunately, this meaning has been lost as “Black Friday” sales spill over into what some are calling Thanksgiving, “Brown Thursday.”
Last year, many stores started offering the exclusive deals that are normally reserved for the day after Thanksgiving on the holiday itself.
Stores like WalMart, Target and Best Buy open between 5-6 p.m. on Thanksgiving.
This results in more eager customers skipping the holiday celebrations altogether and instead spending their Thanksgiving lined up outside of a store.
What an ironic way to spend a holiday that is supposed to be about being thankful for what you have.
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