Keeping Christ in Thanksgiving
Updated: 4 hours ago
Thanksgiving is an important American holiday. It is filled with celebration: festive foods, decorations, and gathering with friends and family, as well as getting a day off of school and work for most people. It also holds a special historical significance.
Have you ever stopped to think about why we celebrate it? Our American culture has turned it into a secularized dinner party where we are "thankful". Thankful to who? For what? If you believe that God is shaping our world and that we should honor Him through our culture, we should return to our rich heritage the right way. We can start by remembering how God played a role in the founding of America: by enjoying our 'thanksgivings' when we celebrate Thanksgiving and the history of this great holiday.
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Teach Your Children the True History of Thanksgiving
In the early 1600s, a group of English Separatists—later called Pilgrims—left England because they could not worship according to their consciences under the established church. They would rather "separate" from corruption rather than try to reform it internally. They fled from England and the harsh religious persecution that they endured to Holland. And while they were able to survive in Holland, they discovered that Dutch culture was caustic to their faith: they were living in a society that constantly pushed them away from their beliefs although with less force than what they had experienced in England. They knew that Holland was a temporary residence. Many of them considered going back to England and some did. After much debate and prayer, they finally embarked on a voyage to the New World on the Mayflower in 1620, seeking a place where they could live based upon the Bible without state interference in their beliefs. They intended to land farther south but were blown off course and settled at Plymouth. However, the first winter in America was catastrophic: roughly half the company died of disease, exposure, and hunger by early 1621.
Their investors in London (the one's who paid for the voyage) had required that all land, houses, and produce go into a common store from which each person would draw an equal share. This arrangement was an early experiment in socialism and corporatism, and the Pilgrim's initially believed that it was a better form of government: everyone would share the work equally with each other. However, things went terribly wrong. Governor William Bradford later recorded that able-bodied young men resented working for other men’s families with no extra reward, that women disliked cooking and washing for households not their own, and that the system bred “confusion and discontent” and “retarded much employment.”
It was at this desperate time that the Pilgrims began to reconsider their journey: perhaps their voyage was not intended by God. Perhaps their faith was misplaced and they had made the wrong decision. Perhaps they should return to England or Holland, submit themselves to their persecutors, abandon their beliefs, and rejoin a corrupt church, because -- maybe they were the corrupted ones? At this point they had to make a decision: either a) abandon their voyage, return to Europe, and suffer the humiliation and defeat of their beliefs, or b) stay in America and accept the risk that -- like other colonies -- they might disband, die-off in the next winter, be killed by war-like Indian tribes, or simply disappear (like as the Roanoke colony founded in the 1580s did). Disbanding was a real possibility given that some of their group did not hold to the same beliefs: half of them were "Adventurers" who came to the New World looking for opportunities, rather perceiving their voyage as a religious mission.
It was this moment that they embraced their beliefs. Each family was directed by William Bradford to receive its own plot of land. What a family grew, it kept or traded. Bradford wrote that the change “had very good success, for it made all hands industrious, so as much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been.” Women and children now went willingly into the fields. Surpluses appeared. And at a critical moment, a peaceful Indian tribe came to them -- the Massasoit, led by Samoset and Squanto -- who provided them with the necessary knowledge to flourish in the New World, rather than simply survive. Moreover, the Massasoit seemed to need the Pilgrim's help as well -- they had been devastated by attacks from a neighboring enemy and by disease and they needed the settlers to buttress their defenses.
By the autumn of 1621, the first harvest was made of corn (from the Native Americans) and barley (which the settlers had brought), and the Massasoit and the Pilgrims celebrated together. William Bradford remembered the settlers gathering what he called their relatively "small harvest" while also obtaining fish, waterfowl, wild turkeys, and venison. At that point Governor Bradford sent four men out hunting and they obtained enough fowl to help feed the settlement for nearly a week. This was an unexpected boon, for while their harvest was close to subsistence level (e.g. the "small harvest" of corn and barley) they suddenly had more than enough, and they held a celebration. The colonists then gathered to "rejoice together" after collecting the fruits of their labor. During the celebration they ate, entertained themselves, and conducted military exercises with the Massasoit, who had appeared with about ninety Wampanoag men, and the gathering continued for three days. The Wampanoag went hunting during the celebration, and were able to take five deer, which made the celebration into a feast with plenty for everyone.
This first Thanksgiving was celebrated as a day of gratitude to God for deliverance by both the Pilgrims and the Native American Indians, and was later commemorated by President George Washington. The three elements required for the success of the Pilgrims had providentially come together at the right time but only because they had persevered in their faith: 1) the Pilgrims embraced their faith, providing them with the spirit to continue rather than disband, 2) they formed a better type of government, which would later become a philosophical model for the governments of the colonies and the United States -- which structured their efforts to succeed and, 3) at the right moment, they gained the necessary information to flourish beyond the bitter reality of the harsh landscape of the New World in the northeast corner of America. The Pilgrims recognized the providence of God in their celebration of this first Thanksgiving (even though they did not call it that): that they had made the right choice at the right time, and the unexpected events providing for the celebration (the successful hunts which made the event into a feast) served as a confirmation of the rightness of their decisions.
Note: recent anachronistic historians disagree with this account, expressing that the Native Americans "saved" the Pilgrims. We reject this historical revisionism based upon the historical evidences, given that: 1) it does not agree with first-hand accounts and timeline described by William Bradford and Edward Winslow, 2) Bradford's writings do not attribute the Massasoit as saving the Pilgrims, and 3) it does not agree with the understanding conveyed by other historians of the time, such as Nathaniel Morton, Thomas Prince, Jeremy Belknap, Cotton Mather, and Alexander Young, each of whom referred directly or indirectly to parts of the thanksgiving events. Further, Edward Winslow describes that the Pilgrims aided the Massasoit tribe's survival later in 1623 and both Bradford and Winslow describe the Massasoit as allies, forming a treaty. 
Get Your Children Involved in Thanking God for His blessings
We should be thanking God for his gifts and blessings year round, but for this Thanksgiving holiday, take some extra time to discuss all the great things that God has given your family.
“I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet.”―Helen Keller
Read I'm Glad for What I Have by Rachel Cruz
Music about thanking God and Jesus
Decorate with symbols that give Glory to God.
Serve in Your Community
‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Matthew 12:31
While we should be serving our neighbors all year long, there are often special opportunities to serve in our community during the Thanksgiving and Christmas season. Many of which are family friendly and can be done alongside your children. Here are some examples.
Your church might be doing something special for Thanksgiving. Our church passes out Thanksgiving dinners to our community. Last year, they hosted community service events where people could assemble and/or distribute the meals to those who need them. Children could participate as well.
Mail out Christmas cards to your friends and family.
Host a friends-giving. There may be people in your circles who may have little or no family to spend the holiday with. Invite them to share Thanksgiving dinner with you around your table!
Host a playdate or moms night with friends for in person fellowship.
Here are some ways to support school choice without voucher scams.
Attend a Bible believing Church
Attend a Bible believing Church in this season of being thankful to God for his blessings.
You or your family may be in a season of grief this holiday season
For some people, the holidays are a highlight in their year and it is fun and exciting to celebrate with friends and family. For others, the holidays are stressful, isolating and filled with sadness. We want to take a moment to encourage those of you who may be in a season of grief. Whether you sit this holiday out, attend a friends-giving or go out for Chinese food instead of eating turkey with a large group, This Thanksgiving is whatever you want it to look like. Here are some resources we want to share with you.
Griefshare is a grief support group
Divorcecare is a divorce support group
Contact your local churches as they may be giving away thanksgiving dinners. Other types of assistance may also be available.
Plan for Black Friday
Black Friday is a shopping "holiday". The reason it is called "Black Friday" is because retail companies need to get their financial books "in the black" and not in debt or "in the red". This holiday is a ploy or scam to get you (the customer) to help their retail stores get their finances in order. It has become an American Tradition to go spend the day sitting in traffic and stand in line at a "box box" store in the middle of the night the day right after praying to God and thanking him for his blessings.
There are so many sales happening and ads encouraging you to spend your money at their store for "the perfect gift". We encourage you to make a family decision on whether or not you are going to take part in Black Friday and how you will spend it. Are you going to do an online order? Are you going to a big box store at 3am? Or, are you going to just sit it out. Being intentional about spending is a budget friendly way of celebrating the holidays.
Plan ahead. This is not the time to run out of paper towels or other essentials if you want to avoid the crowds at your local stores. Also, be aware of the special retail store and restaurant hours on Thanksgiving day.
Sales happen all year long. So, try not to feel "FOMO" about skipping Black Friday.
Not all stores are a ploy to get you to help stores financially. I have seen thrift stores have Black Friday sales as part of the "shopping holiday".
Be intentional about your spending, gifting and shopping. Click to see our article about gift giving tips.
Plan for Christmas
It is totally your family's decision on when you start to decorate for and celebrate Christmas. However, Thanksgiving usually marks the start of the Christmas season and it might make sense for you and your spouse to make a plan for what that might look like.
Tips for making the best Thanksgiving dinner ever.
Consider making changes to traditions. Holidays are what you make of it. You don't have to continue participating in activities that you don't want to do. Maybe you don't like Turkey. Or, you like baking cakes rather than buying pies like your family normally has on Thanksgiving. Maybe you would like to have a screen free day with the Football game off this year.
Have photos and stories ready to share with your guests. Bring out your child's instrument. Show photos of your latest vacation. Have some talking points ready.
Have things to do during down time. Bring a bag of coloring books, a board game, fidgets and other screen free things for you and your children to focus on instead of "hanging out". Idle time is a devils handy work. If everyone is mostly hanging out, people are going to gravitate towards engaging in rude behavior.
Consider making it extra special by dressing up and taking a family photo together.
Put your devices away! Mingle, play games, do an art project with your family. Click to see our scree free resources.
Holiday parties bring new foods to try
It is a good practice to expose your children to new foods year round, however Thanksgiving and Christmas allow for many opportunities to try a new dessert, potato dish or fancy casserole that you might not have thought to put on your meal rotation. Encourage your children to try them. Or, decide to make Yams one day in October as a "research" project when you are planning your Thanksgiving Menu.
Tips for hosting Thanksgiving Dinner
Consider hosting. Hosting holiday gatherings at your home means you have more control over the activities, menu, time frame, and guest list.
Having a low key, non Pinterest worthy celebration is totally OK.
Have a start and end time. In our experience, It helps to have a start time and an end time for any gathering. We have found it helpful to keep it under 2 hours. Obviously, you can change it, but this gives you and your guests to chat, eat and maybe do an activity. Anytime after that seems excessive.
Have your menu planned. Make it awesome! Buy a fancy dessert, get the nice rolls from the bakery, get Apple cider for your children!
Have some activities planned. For down time outside the meal, it can be a board game or a puzzle. Or, cookie decorating, which could contribute to the dessert at the end of the meal. During the meal, you could go around the table and talk about what you are thankful to God for. Kid friendly trivia or conversation cards can also make the meal special.
Put your pets away. We love animals. However, we must be able to put our plate down or play on the floor without your dog (or any animal) coming and eating the food or getting into a potential safety issue with young children. Allow your guests to have the boundary of not being with your animals during the gathering.
It's OK if it's a small group with no extended family at the table. Celebrating holidays might mean getting together with friends or celebrating with just your spouse and your children instead of participating in a large, stressful gathering.
Consider changing the date. Maybe you work on thanksgiving. or Maybe you would rather skip the airports on the busiest and most expensive travel day of the year. Or maybe someone in your group is recovering from surgery or recently had a baby. What if you celebrated Thanksgiving on November 12th with your family instead?
Have ideas on what your guests can bring. If you are planning the turkey, maybe tell your friends to bring a potato dish, salad or dessert to share. That way it is specific enough for the meal to be complete but people can still get creative with their choices if they want. you should still provide silverware and plates to make sure you have them if your guest is not able to show up.
Tips on being the best guest
Bring a dish to share. Ask your host what your family can bring.
Know when to leave.
Be extra kind. Help clean up after the meal, bring a hostess gift like flowers.
Thank your host for having you!
Mingle, participate in the activities. Do not be a wet rag!
Tips for handling rude behavior from extended Family members for Your Decision to Homeschool
Have an out. If things get too bad at dinner, be ready to get your things and leave early. Have a back- up dinner planned incase your local fast food restaurants and grocery stores are closed. If you are hosting, be prepared to ask people to leave, either in a nice way or during a hostile situation with firm force.
Your Thanksgiving can still be great even if it's just you, your spouse and your children.
There are so many things to do and plan for around the holidays. We hope this article helps you plan for Thanksgiving as well as the Christmas holiday season. Check out our other holiday articles about Christmas and Easter below.
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