Blessings To Acclaim
A time past with parents and siblings
Perhaps at friends when they do the same
A time present to gather together
To Give Thanks . . . for Blessings To Acclaim
© Forrest W. Heaton October 2024
Blessings To Acclaim. According to Webster, to acclaim is to “praise enthusiastically and publicly.” That’s something to think about at Thanksgiving. For what do we give thanks? This is worth pondering. Perhaps for some time. Maybe write it out. Some is taken for granted . . . but should not be. Some is forgotten. It’s important to acclaim blessings!
The First Thanksgiving. Google advises Thanksgiving is: “A Harvest Celebration. During the autumn of 1621, at least 90 Wampanoag joined 52 English people at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, to mark a successful harvest. It is remembered today as the “First Thanksgiving,” although no one back then used that term.”
Historical Roots Wikipedia advises: “Although Thanksgiving has historical roots in religious and cultural traditions, it has long been celebrated as a secular holiday as well.”
What Do We Need To Remember? What do we remember from our own early Thanksgivings? Our guess is much is similar for many . . . while much is quite different for many. The one item mentioned by most is a bountiful table.
What Do We Need To Forget? Probably all of us have a Thanksgiving memory we wish would go away. For me, it is turning on the TV and watching the Washington Redskins lose in 1974 to the Dallas Cowboys after a lovely Thanksgiving dinner. Clint Longley of the Cowboys, “then a rookie, came into the game for an injured Roger Staubach with the Cowboys trailing 16–3 in the third quarter, and facing elimination from the playoffs.”`` We now leave the TV off at Thanksgiving.
For Granted. Some of us have taken for granted having been born of our parents, having been born in our country, having freedoms many do not share, having opportunities some do not have. These are BIG and often taken for granted. But they should not be taken that way. They need to be celebrated and protected and acclaimed at Thanksgiving!
New Traditions? Here are 20 of the 50 Thanksgiving tradition ideas prepared by Sarah Lemire, life-style writer. On her website, she describes what you might consider for each: Play Thanksgiving games.
Host a cookie swap.
Celebrate special occasions.
Tell turkey jokes.
Hold a Turkey Day scavenger hunt.
Sing karaoke.
Make matching t-shirts
Contribute to a cause.
Make a family tree.
Fill a gratitude jar.
Put a puzzle together.
Host an Open House.
Assemble care packages.
Share Thanksgiving memories.
Take a walk.
Make a Thanksgiving craft.
Deliver baked goods to friends and neighbors.
Hold an ugly sweater contest.
Get started on your holiday playlist.
Draw names for holiday gifts.
We love the above list. We do have our own considerations for new traditions at Thanksgiving. Consider acclaiming as described above Consider volunteering at your local food pantry. Perhaps donate food or money so that others may have a Thanksgiving they would not have otherwise celebrated.
Thanks For You Dear Readers. We give thanks for you Dear Readers without whom we would have no blog post which we celebrate each month! Thank You! Enjoy your Celebration!
