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This Thanksgiving, Remember The Original Meaning Of The Holiday

No Democrats. No Republicans. No worrying about our differences.

Amanda Byrne
Nov 23, 2016
Stonehill College
29
This Thanksgiving, Remember The Original Meaning Of The Holiday
media.salon.com

Back in March, I wrote quite an opinionated article called "Donald Trump: Make America White Again", where the idea of Donald Trump actually being elected as our president seemed like a frightening yet unrealistic nightmare. Months later, I'm in shock that that nightmare became a reality. With protests held by both parties, both peaceful and not so much, our nation has never felt more divided.

Yet with Thanksgiving and the start of the holiday season this Thursday, I think it's relevant to remind everyone of the message behind the First Thanksgiving: two groups of people, with conflicting values and beliefs, coming together in celebration if only for a short period of time. They were not concerned with their differences. Or their backgrounds. Race. Skin color. Rather, they were concerned with their unification for a common purpose.

Don't get me wrong: the story of the First Thanksgiving isn't the most perfect example to use. We all know that the peace between the Indians and the Pilgrims didn't last very long. But for a short period of time, they were able to celebrate how they came together and worked toward a greater good.

And trust me, I'm not saying we should stop fighting for what we believe in, or for equality and acceptance, or for what's right. Whether that's through protests or not, I don't know, nor do I think anyone really knows. And I wholeheartedly believe that there are underlying problems in this country that we need to address and correct before we can make any progress forward, or even think of being united once more.

But think of the meaning of Thanksgiving. Sure, in our commercialized and consumeristic society, it may just be a four-day weekend filled with copious amounts of food, drinking, football games and shopping. But back in 1621, Thanksgiving was much more than that. It was a reconciliation of differences and a time of healing. A sharing of victories, overcoming of struggles and a finding of hope and strength. A time of reflection, gratitude, and humbleness. And if you ask me, these characteristics of Thanksgiving all seem pretty universal. They're not Republican or Democrat. Not conservative or liberal. Not white or black. Man or woman. Citizen or immigrant. Straight or gay.

Just human.

Maybe it's naive of me to think that there's hope amid this divide, but at the dinner table this upcoming Thursday, don't focus on politics or the state of our country, but on the deeper meaning of Thanksgiving: coming together for a greater purpose, if only for one night.

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