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| Robert Dilenschneider |
As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.
— President John F. Kennedy
Our nation now faces many challenges, not the least of which are the troubling divisions along political, social and economic lines. We are fortunate, therefore, to have Thanksgiving to bring us together in celebration of a special piece of American history.
Let us gather on this wonderful day with family, friends and neighbors for traditional meals and the warmth of shared memories and of future hopes. And let us, whenever and however we can, extend a helping hand to the less fortunate among us. That spirit of generosity is one of the greatest qualities of the American character, and it is Thanksgiving that has helped create that spirit.
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Finally, let us remember and give thanks that we live in the world's greatest nation, that our standard of living is the highest the world has ever known, and that we still strive, in the words of the Pledge of Allegiance, to seek liberty and justice for all.
Some fascinating facts about this special day:
• It is thanks to Pilgrim Father Edward Winslow that we know about the first Thanksgiving. The detailed letter he wrote to an old friend in England describing the harvest feast with the Wampanoags is the only eyewitness account that has survived.
• When the governor of the Plymouth Colony, William Bradford, declared the festival in 1621, he meant for it to be a one-day event. But the 90 Wampanoags brought so much food (including, according to Winslow's letter, five deer) that the celebration was extended to three days.
• In 1863 President Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday. He was moved to do so by Sarah Josepha Hale, writer of the nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb," who convinced him that such a celebration would help bring the country together when the Civil War was over.
• Lincoln was also the first president to "pardon" a turkey.
• President Franklin D. Roosevelt designated the third Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day to create a longer Christmas shopping season, but several states refused to go along. In 1941, to end the confusion, Congress made it the fourth Thursday in November, and Roosevelt signed it into law.
• Philadelphia held the nation's first Thanksgiving Parade in 1920. Macy’s gave New York's its first parade in 1924, including animals from a zoo in the line of march — but no balloons. Those giant floating figures joined the parade in 1927.
• Football on Thanksgiving is a long American tradition. In the first college game in 1876, Yale edged out Princeton, 2-0. The first NFL game was in 1920 with the Akron Pros beating the Canton Bulldogs 7-0.
We have so much to be grateful for on this Thanksgiving. As we celebrate, let us include in our thanks all those who have made it possible to celebrate it in security and freedom.
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Robert L. Dilenschneider is the Founder and CEO of The Dilenschneider Group, an international communications firm.
In this holiday season, let us all remember the surest way to overcome the name-calling, mistrust and entrenched divisions which now trouble our nation, and the world is for each of us to exercise civility in our daily lives.
Events in the last month have revealed stunning displays of hypocrisy among the left and the right, demonstrating that both groups are now caricatures of themselves operating outside of reality.
