Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving

By 王渊源John

Thanksgiving in the United States is a holiday with somewhat problematic(ˌpräbləˈmadik) origins(ˈôrəjən), but it also one of my favorite holidays. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday(-dē,ˈTHərzdā) of each November in the United States, and it is a time for families to gather and be thankful.

The somewhat problematic origins go back to what is often referred(rəˈfər) to as the first Thanksgiving, which was a gathering of European(ˌyo͝orə-,ˌyərəˈpēən) settlers(ˈsed(ə)lər, ˈsetlər) and Native Americans. The settlers gave thanks for their harvest(ˈhärvəst) and their health, and perhaps also for the help of the Native Americans. The problem with this as the origin story of Thanksgiving in the United States is that many Native Americans had already died from the plague(plāg) brought by the Europeans, and they would eventually have their land taken away. So, from the perspective of Native Americans, it’s probably hard to be thankful for the arrival of Europeans.

Despite this, I love the idea of a holiday for giving thanks, and Thanksgiving brings back many fond memories and recalls the traditions of my childhood. Celebrations of thanks also have origins that go back further than that “first Thanksgiving”. So my choice is to acknowledge the complicated origins of the holiday in the United States, and to continue to value and celebrate it as a day to give thanks.

When I was a child, we would often have Thanksgiving dinner(ˈdinər) with my paternal(pəˈtərnl) grandparents, and then travel(ˈtravəl) to the mountains to meet with my family on my mother’s side. Along with the tastes and smells of turkey(ˈtərkē), stuffing, mashed(maSH) potatoes, broccoli(ˈbräk(ə)lē) casserole(ˈkasəˌrōl), and cranberry(-bərē,ˈkranˌberē) sauce(sôs), I have fond memories of time with grandparents, games with cousins(ˈkəzən), and sometimes snow up in the mountains.

This Thanksgiving I am particularly grateful(ˈgrātfəl) for my family and my health. We added a new baby to our family this year, and, even though it’s been challenging at times, it has been such a gift to see our family grow. Also, my brother and parents were able to visit recently, and we were able to visit my wife’s family in southern China. I had pneumonia(-ˈmōnyə,n(y)o͞oˈmōnēə) earlier this year, so I am particularly aware of what a gift it is to be in good health.

I’m also grateful to you for reading this and for joining me here each day.