A Time for Gratitude: The Complex Story of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving holiday holds a significant place in American culture. According to History, this celebration dates back to 1621, when the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag people shared an autumn harvest feast, often regarded as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies (1). 

However, Thanksgiving isn’t without its historical controversies. Many Americans — including those of Native American ancestry — believe Thanksgiving celebrations attempt to cover up the history of oppression and bloodshed between the first European settlers and the Native Americans.

Over time, though, Thanksgiving has evolved into a national celebration when families come together in gratitude and reflection. In the US, it became a time for gathering with loved ones to share a meal, feasting on turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. 

In reverence to the autumn harvest and to give thanks for the bountiful yield for the year, we celebrate it with gratitude, remembering our historical and contemporary blessings. We pause, reflect, and enjoy the warmth of family, food, and togetherness. And when and if we can, it’s a good reason and reminder to give back to the community. 

So, while its historical roots may be tinted, our modern and contemporary practices give Thanksgiving enduring importance in American society.

The Chilling Truth: Why Colder Winters Are a Sign of Global Warming

Believe it or not, the harsher winters are often a telltale sign that climate change is accurate and that the earth is warming at an alarming rate.

Sarah Gibbens explains in National Geographic that unchecked industrialization raises carbon and methane levels on the Earth’s surface, causing a greenhouse gas effect that traps heat in the atmosphere and warms the planet’s average temperatures (2).

Scientists have also found that this isn’t the only effect of these greenhouse gases. As the Arctic warms, a jet stream of cooler Arctic air extends further south, impacting areas in America and resulting in extremely cold winters. This phenomenon helps explain why we have been experiencing harsher and colder seasons recently.

The rate at which the Arctic is warming is a significant concern. Currently, the Arctic is heating up four times faster than the rest of the planet. This rapid warming disrupts the polar jet stream — an air current that usually keeps colder temperatures in the northern regions. As a result, it’s becoming easier for frigid air to push into other areas, leading to extreme weather conditions.

Weakening certain atmospheric conditions helps cool air stick around longer, leading to more prolonged and intense winters. So, even though we might be tempted to think that colder winters mean global warming isn’t real, the truth is quite the opposite.

Why People Eat Turkey on Thanksgiving

During that first Thanksgiving in late 1621, Native American Wampanoag brought deer, and the Pilgrims provided wild “fowl.” There is no evidence, however, that this wildfowl was indeed a turkey, and historians believe it was probably a duck or goose (Britannica) (3).

By the 19th century, turkey was considered relatively plentiful in America. In fact, during the time of the European colonists, it is estimated that there were at least 10 million turkeys in the country, whether on farms or in the wild. Because of that, they were always available for slaughter from the local family farms. 

People kept their live cows and hens longer since they produced milk and eggs, but turkeys were generally raised only for their meat and slaughtered when needed. The big bird was also a good enough size to make it a practical option for feeding an entire family who came together for a meal.

When families gathered to celebrate the first Thanksgiving and the autumn harvest, they naturally sourced their turkeys from local farms, making turkey the main dish of the Thanksgiving feast.

References

1. History.com Editors. “Thanksgiving 2024.” Updated January 31, 2024. | https://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving/history-of-thanksgiving
2. Sarah Gibbens. “Why cold weather doesn’t mean climate change is fake.” January 17, 2024. | https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/climate-change-colder-winters-global-warming-polar-vortex
3. John Cunningham. “Why Do We Eat Turkey on Thanksgiving?” Britannica, 2021. | https://www.britannica.com/story/why-do-we-eat-turkey-on-thanksgiving