ISO - November 2008 e-Newsletter
This year Thanksgiving is on the 27th of November. For many international
students, this is an unfamiliar holiday so here is some information on Thanksgiving
that will help you to become more familiar with this American holiday:
History
The modern celebration of Thanksgiving originated from an autumn harvest feast that
was shared between the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag Indians during the fall
of 1621.
The “Indian hero” of the Thanksgiving story is called "Tisquantum" (Tis
SKWAN tum) or "Squanto" (SKWAN toe). He had previously been captured
by European slavers but was able to successfully escape and return to New England
where he lived with the Wampanoag Indians. His own Pautuxet village had been
abandoned after many people had died from disease contracted from European slavers
and others had fled to live with the Wampanoag.
The Plymouth colonists who had arrived in the New World from England settled on
the land where the Pautuxet village had once stood and Squanto was able to communicate
with them because of his history as a slave and his time spent traveling with Europeans.
Squanto taught the colonists traditional ways of farming and fishing and how to
utilize the natural resources in the area. Having learned the ways of living
in the New World, life for the settlers became easier and when the fall of 1621
arrived, they decided to celebrate the good harvest and to give thanks to God for
their good fortune.
That feast lasted for three days and included a period of fasting, prayer, religious
services, and was a time of friendship between the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoags.
Thanksgiving thus not only commemorates the feast itself but is also representative
of the cooperation and interaction between English colonists and Native Americans.
Although this peaceful time between white settlers and Native Americans quickly
came to an end and was replaced with hostility, warfare, broken treaties and the
subjugation of native peoples, Thanksgiving is today commemorated as a time of coming
together in peace to celebrate and give thanks for the bountiful harvest.
Traditions
The modern thanksgiving meal does not reflect exactly what was eaten at the harvest
feast in 1621 but today the meal traditionally includes turkey with cranberry sauce
and stuffing and pumpkin pie is the typical Thanksgiving dessert. In addition to
the meal itself, this holiday has also come to be associated with the Thanksgiving
Day parade and the customary NFL football game.
For many Americans, Thanksgiving is centered on the family and may also have a religious
aspect of giving thanks to God. During this time, people usually travel to
be with family and friends and since universities are closed for Thanksgiving break,
many college students also return home.
For international students studying in the USA , Thanksgiving is an opportunity
to visit with family members in other states and to celebrate this holiday with
some of their American friends. In addition, some colleges and universities have
special programs which invite local families to host international students for
Thanksgiving dinner. This can be an opportunity to experience Thanksgiving
and to enjoy a much needed break before the end of the semester rush to finish final
papers.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM ALL OF US AT ISO!