Thanksgiving Traditions

/ Lori

I found a neat story the other day and decided to get kernels of corn for my family to utilize so we could complete this traditional event at each Thanksgiving in the future as well.

The story goes that once Thanksgiving became a holiday, the Pilgrims would start their meal with five kernels of corn on their plate.

These five golden kernels represented all the pilgrims had to eat for the entire day during difficult winter. The corn that remained was planted in the spring.

At Thanksgiving the five kernels of corn was a reminder that many had nearly starved because of lack of food.

Each pilgrim would stand up and one by one pick up each kernel of corn and share five things they were thankful for on Thanksgiving.

This tradition has been passed on from the early times.

To this day, many families place five kernels of corn on each plate to honor and remember the suffering and spirit of Thanksgiving of our Pilgrim ancestors. They also take turns sharing five blessings for which they are grateful.

The story of the five kernels of corn is a touching tradition to start with your family.

Nowadays we have added our own THANKSGIVING TRADITIONS involving everything from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, cornucopia centerpieces, to homemade pumpkin pie. Though Thanksgiving Day is unique to the U.S., many different nations have their own way and reasons for dedicating a day to gratitude. From mooncakes in China and Vietnam, to a festival honoring yams in Ghana, a number of countries around the world have unique traditions to celebrate the harvest.

Regardless of your traditions or your meals, please make sure to give thanks not only to those that came before us that made our lives possible and fruitful but to God as well, because we are not truly blessed unless we are blessed by HIM!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING ALL!!!

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