Enjoying the "American Holy Day" of Thanksgiving



November 23, 2023

Dear Prince Parents:

Few things are as distinctly American as Thanksgiving with its roots in our Pilgrim and Puritan traditions of the 1620s-1630s, whose original purpose was to celebrate harvests of increasing yield in conditions Americans today could hardly fathom. Yesteryear's Thanksgiving "holy days" (now a single, secularized holiday) is an intriguing look into our nation's history. If you are taking a respite from email traffic this holiday hiatus, continuing to read this letter will only increase your academic prowess thus enabling you to inject some sage morsel into your Thanksgiving table discussion!

American Thanksgiving holy days were originally religious events that occurred periodically, sometimes more than once a year, when resourceful and reverent American colonists stopped working, turned to God in prayer and celebration, and returned thanksgivings for His blessings and grace. In 1789, the same year our American Constitution was signed, George Washington issued a Thanksgiving Proclamation "…to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor." At that time, our nation consisted of thirteen states with Thanksgiving celebrations held on a variety of dates. It was not until 1863 when President Lincoln, amidst the strategic objective of political unification during the great tragedy of the American Civil War, proclaimed the fourth Thursday in the month of November a national day of "Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens."

As our nation's modern society grows increasingly pluralistic, fewer Americans are aware of Thanksgiving's origin in our Christian faith, and even fewer know it was initially a series of holy days. As a result, God's presence in American homes has been eclipsed by feasting and our nation's insatiable appetite for entertainment. This culture shift presents a superb opportunity for us as believers to share the original purpose for our nation's Thanksgiving holy days and for God's grace and blessing to live in a free republic conceived by rebels (and patriots) who rejected tyranny and collectively consented to be governed of, by, and for the people.

As you prepare to share this year's Thanksgiving meal, I encourage you to pause and ask each member of your family to briefly share one blessing from this past year and conclude with a prayer to God asking for His continued blessing upon our families, churches, and Prince Avenue CHRISTIAN School. The distractions of America's postmodern Thanksgiving are legion, and while we enjoy family, feasting, and football, let us do so with the knowledge that our greatest Thanksgiving is for His Son, Jesus Christ. On behalf of Prince's faculty and staff, I hope you make some lasting family memories during this unique and distinctly American "holy day."

With warm regards for a restful Thanksgiving,

Dr. Seth Hathaway, Ed.D.

Head of School