Somebody asked me today what Thanksgiving is like in Sweden and I answered “there is no Thanksgiving because we didn’t have the pilgrims or the Native Americans”.
I was wrong. There is a Thanksgiving Sunday in the Lutheran Swedish state church (shows you how much I attended when I was living there). It takes place in early October and is a celebration of the harvest. In the old days farmers would bring wheat, potatoes, carrots, rutabagas, apples, and other crops to share with the less fortunate in their congregation or village.
Since moving to America, I have more and more embraced Thanksgiving. This year, I even have two Thanksgiving celebrations, one with my lady friend and her large extended family in Van Buren on Thanksgiving Day and one in Bangor on Saturday, when we will join my children and grandchildren for a belated Thanksgiving because my daughter works on Thursday.
I just reread some Thanksgiving reflections that I originally published in 2016 and 2017. I’m linking to them below. Other than the chronology of how long I’ve been here and so on they still describe pretty well how I feel about my life and my choice of living in this country and doing the work I’m doing.
I love that you will have two Thanksgivings. You and your insights and stories about your practice ( and the dogs and horses!) are something to be grateful for. Thank you for the work you do.
Yes, Thanksgiving originally was simply to celebrate the new harvest each year. It has gradually evolved into the family gatherings we know today, which I think is fine—it's not just about celebration, but about giving thanks.