Thanks a Lot! The Importance of Gratitude and the History of Thanksgiving!

There’s an old episode of Seinfeld in which Jerry weighs the rules of etiquette when it comes to saying, “thank you.” A friend gives Jerry tickets to a hockey game, and so Jerry thanks him right then and there. Kramer reminds Jerry that he needs to thank him again after the game. Jerry stubbornly refuses to do so, but he eventually caves. 

“Thank you.” Such a common phrase! Do we say it too often …or do we not say it enough? Our issue may also not be how often (or not) we say it but how we say it. Gratitude is a complex phenomenon. Parents tell their children to say “the magic words” whenever someone does/says something decent to them. Not unlike “I’m sorry” …whether they really mean it or not is irrelevant (just so long as they say the words). 

But, assuming you’re not completely soulless, feeling the gratitude you express is the most important part of it. Can you make someone feel gracious? You can try to influence them, but gratitude must always come from within. There are ways of priming our capacity for gratitude, though, and our yearly national holiday of Thanksgiving is of course one of them! Before we dig into gratitude any further, though, let’s look at the history of Thanksgiving. 

It’s not a coincidence that Thanksgiving occurs in late November every year. Long before Aldi’s or Uber Eats, the autumn harvest was our primary source of nourishment, and people were surely gracious when it turned out well. Thus, prayers of thanks and thanksgiving ceremonies were certainly not uncommon. 

History of the Feast

The Thanksgiving holiday’s history in North America has roots in Protestant Reformation-era England.¹ Its harvest festival aspects occurred well before the late-November traditions of today, though.² During the reign of Henry VIII and the 1536 Church of England reforms, the number of liturgical holidays dropped from 95 to 27. The church still required its adherents to attend Sunday masses 52 times a year, but the Anglican Puritan party sought to strip away all other celebrations and ceremonies (including the evangelical feasts of Christmas and Easter).³

The Puritans still believed that they required special Days of Fasting and Days of Thanksgiving, and that divine powers on high would rain unexpected disasters and threats down on them if they didn’t.^3,2. The English gave special thanks, for instance, for the birth of Queen Anne in 1605, when they (the English) defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588, and on November 5, 1606 (Guy Fawkes Day)— the anniversary of the failed, infamous Gunpowder Plot.²

Days of Fasting were called on account of the plagues in 1604 and 1622, the drought in 1611, and the floods in 1613. When they safely landed in Virginia in 1619, the charter of English settlers dictated Annual Thanksgiving prayers at Berkeley Hundred.^4.

North American Tradition

Some historians believe that the first North American Thanksgiving celebration occurred in 1578 after Martin Frobisher voyaged from England to Canada in search of the Northwest Passage.^5. Some researchers note that “there is no compelling narrative of the origins of the Canadian Thanksgiving Day,” while others point out antecedents of 17th century French settlers celebrating the harvest in New France by feasting with the indigenous peoples.^6,7. Various Irish, German, and Scottish immigrants and United Empire Loyalists fleeing from the U.S. colonies and settling in Canada brought their own unique traditions with them (serving turkey was one of those traditions).^7.

The government of the Provinces of Canada declared Thanksgiving a religious holiday in 1859, encouraging citizens to: “spend the holiday in ‘public and solemn’ recognition of God’s mercies.”^8. On October 9, 1879, Canada’s Governor General Marquis of Lorne made a further declaration that November 6 was: “a day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed.”^8. In January 1957, Canadian Parliament took a page from Governor General Marquis of Lorne as well.^9.

In the United States, the holiday is widely attributed to the above-mentioned charter of English settlers at Berkley Hundred (Charles City County, Virginia) and the Pilgrims and Puritans in Plymouth, Massachusetts. A good harvest in 1621 was cause for celebration in New England, and the Puritans and Pilgrims celebrated alongside the Wampanoags and last surviving Patuxent (both provided the pilgrims scarce food supplies in exchange for protection against the rival Narragansetts).

Various church leaders made Thanksgiving proclamations in New England up until 1682, and during the American revolutionary period, both royal governors and patriotic leaders (John Hancock, George Washington, e.g.) made Thanksgiving proclamations as well.^10. As President of the United States, Washington made the first official proclamation on November 26, 1789: “a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favours of Almighty God.”^1. He called on Americans to “unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions.”^11. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving an official, national holiday.

Creature Comforts

Thanksgiving…the holiday of all things food. Turkey, ham, cranberry, croissants, butter rolls, stuffing, gravy, jam, sweet potatoes, pecan, cherry, blueberry, and apple pies, cookies, brownies, and, of course, how could we possibly forget mashed potatoes! All these “creature comfort” delights in one warm, welcoming, and well-decorated insular setting. How long should we cook the turkey, and what should we stuff it with this year? What delicious sauces can we add to our Thanksgiving spread, and how many plates and utensils should we put out? All these questions and more epitomize the “craziness” and “stress” of the holidays. But…it is of course the good type of “stress.” And, with that…. we return to our original topic—gratitude! 

Thankfully

Gratitude isn’t some singular emotion. People can be grateful for some things but not other things. We’re thankful for our family, friends, and intimate partners (so long as we have a benevolent relationship with them). We see military servicemen and women, police officers, firefighters, and EMTs, and we feel immense gratitude. The same thing goes for those who fix our power lines in stormy weather or the freezing cold. But, these forms of gratitude might not preclude other forms of resentment, which, according to English author Douglas Murray, is “the opposite of gratitude.” 

Gratitude’s Opposite

In The War on the West, Murray uses a passage about Satan in The Brothers Karamazov to illustrate the nature of resentment. The Devil visits Ivan Karamazov- the hyper rational brother- in a dream (nightmare), explaining to him that, as a fallen angel, he is incapable of gratitude. The famous Biblical Cain and Abel story also further drives home this point. Cain is to Abel what Satan is to Christ. Although Cain has the honorary role of a gardener/farmer, his brother, Abel, a shepherd who fights off lions, seems way better off. Everyone loves him, and he experiences one good fortune after the next. 

Cain is upset and bitter about this, and so he complains to God. “I’m breaking my back, What kind of system you got going on here?!” he demands to know from the cosmic creator. God doesn’t answer Cain as he hopes He will, telling him: “Hey…this is all on you!” (essentially). That’s not what he wants to hear. Cain is not having it! He doesn’t honestly evaluate himself and decides instead to kill his brother by whacking him over the head with a rock. In true Dostoevsky fashion, though, Cain (who has destroyed his ideal) cannot escape his guilt, and not only does it torture him forever, but it also precipitates one generation of violence after the next. 

Some of the best films, shows, plays, and novels have brilliantly explored this gratitude/resentment dichotomy. Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (where Anakin officially transitions to the “dark side”) is one example. Game of Thrones’ penultimate episode is another (Daenerys lets her hatred and resentment drive her to burn down an entire city). In both (fictional) instances, resentment is borne from despair. Despair and hopelessness. Cain, Anakin, and Daenerys all felt that the pain that had befallen them was, in some sense or another, inescapable. In Dante’s Inferno, the lowest (ninth) circle of Hell is just that…an icy lake where those who’ve betrayed others (Satan, Judas, Cassius, and Brutus) mull over their resentments for all eternity. Every icy wind they breathe oozes with bitterness. 

Taking Personal Stock

Gratitude, on the other hand, is the fire the fuels the realms of Paradise. Unlike thanking someone for handing you a coffee cup or holding the door, real gratitude often requires immense suffering…or at least the recognition of how much someone could suffer. We saw the real fragility of our world at play during the Covid-19 pandemic. The sanity and calmness that many of us may have taken for granted beforehand became abundantly clear to us. 

We saw just how easily our financial, governmental, and healthcare systems can collapse, and that it really is a miracle that they work consistently at all!! That realization filled many of us with a deep sense of realgratitude. Same thing, of course, goes for assessing our social climate in the wake of events such as the Israeli-Palestinian and Ukrainian-Russian Wars. We see the horrific situation many Israelis and Ukrainians are going through, and it forces us to consider the miracle of peace. 

It would be disingenuous of me to speak of gratitude from a soapbox, though. While I’m, of course, extolling the moral virtues of gratitude, I’m not without my own proclivities for resentment. My resentment though isn’t about the economy or the political climate or some other specific, materialistic condition I feel I’m lacking. Sure…it would be nice to afford a home and a fancy car, but not having those doesn’t elicit any resentment from me. My anger and resentment stems from certain interpersonal issues…issues that involve feelings of worthlessness and betrayal. It obviously isn’t a pleasant array of feelings, but it is what it is, and, well, let’s just say it’s a work-in-progress.

I deliver you these honest thoughts because, while they often are dark, a lot of times my honest thoughts are exactly the opposite. Am I still bitter and resentful about the interpersonal issues? Yes. But that is only one section of life, and there are plenty of sections in which I feel not a trace of resentment or bitterness (and, in many cases, a great sense of gratitude and joy). So, for the sake of this holiday and article, let’s continue there. 

“Thank you!”

I’m thankful to be working a job (one that I’ve worked for over five years now) with such a great and productive team. The salary is a bit low, but that’s something I can always work on. I’m lucky to have a family (both immediate and extended) that is loving, caring, understanding, and not seriously broken or dysfunctional. Many don’t experience that boon. 

I’m grateful to have enough money in my bank account…enough money to travel abroad this past fall and see the historical wonders of Athens, Greece! I’m thankful to have had a furry companion and coworker this past year (as well as my sister, who afforded me this opportunity, and my close neighbors who watched him while I was abroad), and to have found several meaningful and engaging pastimes. Learning the art of self-defense is one of them. Theatrical work is another. And lastly, if you are reading this article on the DG Speaks site, I’m thankful that she (the owner) has provided me with the opportunity this past year to publish all these written articles. And then, of course, my gratitude extends to all the other conditions of life as well (electricity, running water, grocery store shelves stocked with food, and so on and so on). 

And with that, let’s sit down and enjoy some turkey, cranberry, gravy, potatoes, and other creature comforts. Happy Thanksgiving 2023! 

SOURCES

[1] Hodgson, Godfrey (2006). A Great and Godly Adventure; The Pilgrims and the Myth of the First Thanksgiving. New York: Public Affairs. p. 212.

[2] Baker, James W. (2009). Thanksgiving: The Biography of an American Holiday. UPNE. 

[3] Forbes, Bruce David (October 27, 2015). America’s Favorite Holidays: Candid Histories. University of California Press. p. 155.

[4] Dowdy, Clifford (1957). The Great Plantation. Rinehart and Co. pp. 29–37

[5] Mills, David; Neilson Bonikowsky, Laura; McIntosh, Andrew. “Thanksgiving in Canada”. Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Retrieved October 6, 2017.

[6] Kaufman, Jason Andrew (2009). The Origins of Canadian & American Political Differences. Harvard University Press. p. 29.

[7] Solski, Ruth “Canada’s Traditions and Celebrations” McGill-Queen’s Press,ISBN 1550356941 p. 12.

[8] Duncan, Dorothy (September 16, 2006). Canadians at Table: Food, Fellowship, and Folklore: A Culinary History of Canada. Dundurn.

[9] Kelch, Kalie (August 27, 2013). Grab Your Boarding Pass. Review & Herald Publishing Association. ISBN 978-0-8127-5654-8.

[10] Julian S, The Boston Globe (November 20, 1996). “HISTORY IS SERVED”. chicagotribune.com.

[11] “Thanksgiving Proclamation, 3 October 1789”. George Washington Papers. Library of Congress. Retrieved January 26, 2008.