There are many harvest festivals around the world, but Thanksgiving as we know it is a unique American holiday. The United States and Canada are the only countries that celebrate Thanksgiving.
Wikipedia states: While some researchers state that “there is no compelling narrative of the origins of the Canadian Thanksgiving day,” the first Canadian Thanksgiving is often traced back to 1578 and the explorer Martin Frobisher. Frobisher, who had been trying to find a northern passage to the Pacific Ocean, held his Thanksgiving celebration not for harvest but in thanks for surviving the long journey from England through the perils of storms and icebergs. On his third and final voyage to the far north, Frobisher held a formal ceremony in Frobisher Bay in Baffin Island (present-day Nunavut) to give thanks to God and in a service ministered by the preacher Robert Wolfall they celebrated Communion.
Our Thanksgiving is traced to a sparsely documented event in 1621 at Plymouth in what is now Massachusetts. We all know that story.
The Pilgrims had little to be grateful for. We have much today. It is ironic that their gratitude over so little became a central holiday in the land that now has so much. It seems as though God likes to be appreciated.
There is much to appreciate in America. Materially, we are far and away ahead of any other major country at $54,629 per person, according to the World Bank. That’s about $10,000 more than Germany and England, $15,000 more than France, $20,000 more than Japan. We are doing well.
Mississippi’s income is typically about 70 percent of the national average, but that still puts our state on par with Japan, Italy and New Zealand – all countries with a reputation for affluence.
Mississippi, for a variety of reasons, some historic, some demographic, is below the nation in productivity, but we are blessed with an enormous amount of arable land. Mississippians enjoy, on average, 10 acres per person. Compare that to England, which has on average half an acre per person.
The United States is the richest country in the history of the world. The South is its fastest growing region. Mississippi is in the heart of the South.
We all know that Texas, Florida and Georgia have gotten most of the growth, but sooner or later, Mississippi will boom. Be careful what you wish for.
I find it so ironic that we obsess over material measures when comparing states. Yet we all know money doesn’t buy happiness. Spiritual abundance is more important than material abundance.
This is where Mississippi really shines. We are the most religious state in the nation. Not only does Mississippi have the highest percentage of believers, we have the highest percentage of churchgoers. Accordingly, Mississippians are the most generous people in the nation, perhaps the world. We give a higher percentage of our income to charity than any other state.
Now dwell on that fact for a moment. The poorest state in the richest nation is also the most generous. Talk about the best of both worlds. Now that is something for which to be thankful.
Nobody thinks much about clean water. We can drink from any faucet. Despite this, we don’t. Instead, we pay more per ounce for bottled water than gasoline. Now that is rich.
I am so grateful for our freedom and our political system. There is too much bitterness in our political debates, but there are few Americans who wouldn’t fight for the freedom to have these debates. In particular, I am grateful for freedom of the press and the wisdom of our Founding Fathers to make a special provision in the Constitution to protect this.
Right now, we are all fearful of terrorism. We need to be thankful we live in a country that has the resources to prevent terrorism. It is truly amazing how few deaths there have been in the United States from terrorism since 9/11. Far more people die from automobile accidents, yet we accept that risk as a normal part of life.
The list is endless. We have so much. This Thursday I will be thankful for friends, family and a delicious turkey feast.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 37 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.