Introduction: Speaking of Thanksgiving Day, we all know that this is a holiday about gratitude, listening to the name of the holiday thought it belongs to the Chinese holiday, in fact, this is from the United States began to rise, and then popular around the world, spread to China, but also become one of the popular Western holidays in China. So, how much do you know about the origin of Thanksgiving Day? What is the meaning and significance of Thanksgiving? Go with me to understand it.
A Brief History of the Origin of Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving originated with the early settlers of Plymouth, Massachusetts. These Puritans broke away from the Church of England and traveled as far as Holland, and later decided to move across the Atlantic to that uninhabited land, hoping to live as religiously free as they wished.
Origin Statement 1: From the Bible
In the Old Testament, the Bible, Deuteronomy, chapter 16, 13-17, recorded the Feast of Tabernacles in Israel: "After you have been collected from the threshing floor and from within the winepress, you shall hold the Feast of Tabernacles seven days. Within this feast you shall rejoice, you and your children, your servants and your maids, and the Levites, the foreigners, the orphans and the widows who are in your towns. And thou shalt hold this feast seven days for the Lord thy God in heaven, in the place which the Lord hath chosen for the Lord thy God, for the Lord thy God shall bless thee and fill thee with joy in all thy harvest, and in all that thou proceedest to do."
"Three times a year, on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, on the Feast of the Seven Sevens, and on the Feast of Tents, all your men shall go to the place chosen by the Lord, and make a pilgrimage to the Lord thy God; but do not appear before the Lord empty-handed, but each man shall offer gifts according to his means, as the Lord thy God has given to thee."
Bible legend, when the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, Macy called by the Lord, led 600,000 people out of Egypt, the power of God led them across the Red Sea as dry land, to avoid pursuers. However, because they only looked at the environment and forgot God in the face of difficulties, the journey that could have been completed in a dozen days took forty years. But God kept them for forty years without their clothes getting tattered, without their shoes getting torn, and even provided them with food. During this period of time, they walked during the day and lived in booths at night, and finally entered the land of Canaan. The first fall after the sowing of the seed they had a good harvest. To thank God for delivering them from slavery, and to thank God for the comfort and food, the Israelites kept the Feast of Tabernacles as an expression of their gratitude to this day.
The story of the Mayflower In 1620, 102 people from England boarded the Mayflower, and after 65 days of difficult voyage to the American continent, and after the Mayflower, they were able to travel to the United States. After 65 days of difficult voyage to the American continent, and experienced a harsh winter, in the spring only 53 people left. With the help of the Indians, they planted in the spring, harvested in the fall, and then *** with the celebration of this hard-won harvest, thanks to God to keep them alive, and then people in order to commemorate this history, passed down the tradition of Thanksgiving. The meaning and significance of Thanksgiving Day The main significance of Thanksgiving Day is to tell us the beauty of human nature, which can be reflected in anything, greet your parents, friends, and help people in need, are all expressions of gratitude. Let us learn to be grateful, to cherish, to understand and forgive, and most importantly, to love. That's what life really gives us. Western Thanksgiving Day has its religious connotation, but can absorb its positive components, into the traditional virtues, and give new meaning to the establishment of Chinese characteristics of the "Thanksgiving Day". Drawing on Western festivals, the establishment of the Chinese Thanksgiving Day, so that children learn to think differently and understand their parents; so that adults sympathize with each other, interpersonal relationships more harmonious. Although the Western Thanksgiving Day has its own religious connotation, it is possible to absorb its positive components, integrated into the traditional virtues, and give new meaning to the establishment of Chinese characteristics of the "Thanksgiving Day". The origin of Thanksgiving Day goes all the way back to the beginnings of American history, when the famous Mayflower arrived in America in 1620, loaded with 102 Puritans who couldn't stand the religious persecution at home in the U.K. During the winter of 1620 and 1621, they encountered unimaginable difficulties, and were in the midst of starvation and cold. By the end of the winter, only 50 or so of the settlers had survived. At this time, the kind-hearted Indians sent the necessities of life to the immigrants, but also sent people to teach them how to hunt, fish and plant corn, pumpkins. The white settlers and the Indians established a close friendship. In November of that year, when the corn harvest was plentiful, the settlers held a sumptuous thanksgiving party and entertained the Indians with roast turkey and corn cakes. The Indians brought a variety of corn products, roasted turkey, pumpkin pie, wild grapes, and corn liquor syrup to the party, and the people sang and danced all day long. Later, at the end of November after the annual corn harvest, the white settlers held a thanksgiving party, where families roasted turkeys, cooked corn food, and entertained the Indians. On the first Thanksgiving Day, the Indians and settlers gathered together, fired a salute at dawn, marched into a house used as a church, gave thanks to God, and then lit a bonfire and held a great feast. The next day and the third day there were wrestling, races, singing, dancing, and other activities. The first Thanksgiving was a great success. Many of these celebrations have been passed down for more than 300 years and remain to this day. In the beginning, there was no set date for Thanksgiving, and it was decided on an ad hoc basis by the states. It wasn't until 1863, after American independence, that President Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday.