Americans observe Thanksgiving Day with turkey dinners, football, parties, and shopping, but people have differing motives: some sincerely weigh their blessings, while others treat it as one more routine holiday. The first Thanksgiving was held in 1621 at Plymouth Colony, when devoutly religious Pilgrims, having lost about half their number the first winter, thanked God after a good harvest for His help, guidance, and progress. In 1789 George Washington's proclamation called all nations to acknowledge God's providence, obey His will, render thanks for His care and favors, and seek pardon for national transgressions. Most Americans, especially self-professed Christians, make some attempt at gratitude on this day, but once a year is not enough. For true Christians, thanksgiving is a daily practice, grounded in I Thessalonians 5:18: "In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." God's people are not to set aside a single day but to live in heartfelt thankfulness every day, expressing it in prayer, words, and a contented, peaceful attitude toward the God who gives every good gift, above all salvation and eternal life.

Thanksgiving Day in America, once established to give thanks to the Almighty God for His benevolent care and providence, has transformed into a commercialized event marking the start of the Christmas retail sales season with discounts up to 70 percent off regular prices. Many people now focus on coveting merchandise for themselves and as gifts, driven by a carnal mind rather than gratitude. On Thanksgiving Day, stores open early, and shoppers rush in, jostling each other to grab specially priced items, often without a thought of thanking God for His benefits throughout the year or even for the ability to purchase these goods. Their focus remains fixed on acquiring coveted items at the best price and returning home to a large feast, neglecting the gratitude that God deserves for His kindness to all humanity. Despite the enjoyment of more benefits, prosperity, and natural resources than much of the world, there is a prevailing unthankful attitude, marked by selfishness and pride, reflecting a moral and ethical decline.

Both America and Canada celebrate a day of Thanksgiving each year in the fall. America's Thanksgiving Day occurs on the last Thursday of November, while Canada's is on the second Monday of October, often coinciding with the fall holy days. Sometimes, the Feast of Tabernacle's Eighth Day and Canada's Thanksgiving Day fall on the same date, sharing incredible similarities. It is proclaimed as a day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed. God's people can celebrate this day if it is kept in the proper spirit. However, for most, even Thanksgiving Days have lost their original meaning, becoming mere excuses for partying, reveling, and getting.

Some have questioned Christians keeping Thanksgiving due to concerns that it stemmed from paganism, suggesting that a member of God's church should not observe it. However, just because pagans in the past gave thanks to their idols, should we not be thankful for all that the great God has provided us? Should we not show gratitude for our liberties and the seemingly limitless bounty we have? The Thanksgiving Day we celebrate does not have a pagan origin, unlike other holidays. Our forefathers and a few of our presidents, guided by their study of God's Word, set aside a day each year to thank God for the many blessings He has bestowed on our people, which is good and right for any people. For those who understand where all blessings come from, this day should be a reminder to give effusive thanks for the many blessings that belong to us because of God's faithfulness to His promises to Abraham. It should also remind each of us to thank Him every day, not just one day a year, for our incredible calling and the innumerable things He does for us.

Thanksgiving Day is often regarded as the most American of holidays, yet its origins are not unique to America, with many traditions borrowed from other countries. American customs have shaped its character, though the attitude of observance has often degenerated into a mere parody of true thanksgiving. Historical records show that the Pilgrims' celebration in 1621, while significant as the first in America to combine religious service and feasting, was not the earliest thanksgiving in the Western hemisphere or even in the United States. Earlier observances occurred in Newfoundland in 1578 and in Maine in 1607, with several others in colonial Virginia between 1607 and 1620. The Pilgrims' event in 1621 stood out due to the unexpected participation of ninety Indians, who joined in a feast of turkey and venison, accompanied by war dances, military drills, and sports. Some traditions associated with Thanksgiving Day have roots in ancient pagan practices of Canaan, Greece, and Rome, which were idolatrous in nature. However, harvest festivals are not inherently opposed to God, as He commands the observance of Pentecost and Tabernacles, both harvest celebrations. Thanksgiving in America carries weak religious overtones and does not venerate specific individuals or form part of a salvation formula. Its focus on honoring God is general, leaving the specific manner of observance to individual choice, ranging from gluttonous feasting and sports to family reunions or entirely religious expressions. Though Thanksgiving in America often fails to honor God and becomes a hollow shell of its potential, it can be observed in its best-intended purpose. We can make it a true thanksgiving to God, enhanced by sharing a fine meal with family and friends, especially those of like spiritual mind, while keeping the God of creation, our Savior and Provider, ever in our thoughts.

Thanksgiving is a national day set apart for thanking the Almighty Creator and Sustainer of the Universe, yet it is either over-hyped for secular purposes or barely noticed in the rush toward the next holiday on the calendar, as commercial promotions for Christmas and other seasonal events drown it out. That so many are unthankful, ungrateful, and unappreciative is a disgrace. Paul warned Timothy that thanklessness belongs to a nasty list of evil attitudes marking the end time, so it is no small matter. A thankless person reveals a core character flaw, self-absorption, and this attitude shows in many who observe the day only perfunctorily. Properly kept, Thanksgiving is a tradition that promotes wholesome values, beginning with thankfulness to God for the abundant blessings He has bestowed. It is also an opportunity to serve others and to thank those who serve. Thanks are due to the women who work hard preparing the Thanksgiving meal and all meals throughout the year, to the men who prepare the house and carve the turkey, and to the children who help their parents.

Thanksgiving Day, often mislabeled as the most American of holidays, is actually an American adaptation of harvest festivals celebrated in many nations since ancient times. This adaptation is not wrong in principle, as we should give thanks to the great God who causes all things He created to grow and produce abundantly, allowing us to enjoy His beneficence. In America, with its history rooted in a quasi-Christian religious beginning and many constitutional liberties drawn from biblical foundations, there is a basis of truth at the core of this nation. However, over the past several decades, we have strayed far from the original principles of Thanksgiving. The settlers at Plymouth Rock called themselves pilgrims, believing they were on a journey to a Promised Land of religious liberty where they could worship God according to their understanding. They dedicated that first Thanksgiving in America to give thanks to God for His provision. Later, both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, in their addresses establishing Thanksgiving Day as a national holiday, expressed profound gratitude to God. Yet, in recent times, the focus of Thanksgiving has shifted, often overshadowed by references to it as Turkey Day, news of Black Friday shopping, and heavy holiday traffic, with little mention of its deeper significance. There is no reason why Thanksgiving cannot be filled with wonderful, warm family activities. God's festivals, especially the Feast of Tabernacles, emphasize such family-oriented celebrations without forgetting the God who makes all these blessings possible. However, the current trajectory of the nation raises concerns, as we seem to be moving away from a relationship with God, mirroring a troubling path that calls for reflection and change.