"Thanksgiving or Shopping?"

Next week an American tradition of celebrations, family gatherings, and, well, over indulgence in eating begins.

It is interesting though how far a field we as a culture have gone related to the meaning and intention of Thanksgiving.

Sadly, a significant number of Americans relate food, football, shopping, and family as the purpose behind Thanksgiving.

It is rather interesting to look at the actual history of Thanksgiving to note just how far we’ve come – of course, revisionist historians have several versions of the “original” thanksgiving and so any attempt to discuss what, who, where, why, and how is a little dubious at best. With help from Answers.com, I offer this quick history lesson -

“The first official American observance of a holiday called "Thanksgiving" occurred when the Continental Congress declared that December 18, 1777 should be celebrated as a national day "for solemn Thanksgiving and praise" in response to and in recognition of the surrender of the British forces commanded by General Burgoyne in the battle of Saratoga, regarded as the turning point (since it brought France into the conflict) in the struggle for American independence.

Then, on October 3, 1789, George Washington, at the request of both houses of Congress, assigned Thursday the 26th day of November 1789, as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer acknowledging the divine favor and protection which sanctioned the adoption of the new national Constitution. This established a tradition that the last Thursday of November was a day of national Thanksgiving.

It is not by accident that President Lincoln selected October 3rd as the day on which he similarly signed his proclamation of a day of Thanksgiving, the country then being engaged in a struggle which could very well mean the end of that very Constitution celebrated in Washington's original Thanksgiving proclamation.

In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared that Thanksgiving would be the next to last Thursday of November.

Here is where it begins to get interesting.

Roosevelt was motivated in part to give merchants a longer period to sell goods before Christmas. Increasing profits and spending during this period, Roosevelt hoped, would aid bringing the country out of the Depression.

At the time, it was considered inappropriate to advertise goods for Christmas until after Thanksgiving. However, Roosevelt's declaration was not mandatory; twenty-three states went along with this recommendation, and 22 did not.

Congress in 1941 split the difference and established that Thanksgiving would occur annually on the fourth Thursday of November, which was sometimes the last Thursday and sometimes the next to last. On November 26 that year President Roosevelt signed this bill into U.S. law making shopping a part of Thanksgiving.

In 78 years our nation moved from a national day of thanksgiving to officially sanctioning “shopping”.

As you prepare for the traditions you and your family share next week, I ask you to consider taking time to reflect, count, and bathe in the blessings received.

As a community, as a state, and as a nation, we have much to be thankful for. Irrespective of the current economic situation, we enjoy much.

One such blessing is the access to an education for every child. In our lifetime we know that this wasn’t always the case. With little argument, we have much to work on but we have also accomplished much.

As a starter, please consider giving thanks for our teachers who work tirelessly for a better tomorrow for each child entrusted in their care. Please give thanks for our support staff albeit, bus driver, child nutrition, clerical, custodial, and teacher assistant for their dedication and commitment to children. Please also give thanks for our administrators for their contributions and selfless sacrifices in the service of children.

We do, indeed have much to be thankful for – blessings to all!

Happy Thanksgiving!