Thanksgiving in America can be traced back to as early as September 8th, 1565 when Spanish settlers held a Mass of Thanksgiving for their safe delivery to the New World. Although there was a feast, this was a religious celebration and not a harvest festival. Even earlier in 1541 the expedition of Coronado had mass after safely crossing part of Texas and finding game in the Texas panhandle.
But the Thanksgiving holiday tradition involves the story of Squanto, and the Wampanoag tribe who taught the Pilgrims how to adapt to the New World. In 1621 after their first harvest the Pilgrims held a 3 day festival at Plymouth, Massachusetts feasting on Indian corn, wild turkeys and fish.
After a 66 day journey aboard the 100 ft long “Mayflower” the Pilgrims arrived at Cape Cod on November 21st, 1620 right at the onset of winter. Of the original 102 passengers only 53 survived the winter aboard the Mayflower due to a mixture of scurvy, pneumonia and tuberculosis until March 31st, 1621 when the Pilgrims moved into huts on shore.
Over the years there were many similar celebrations and in 1777 the Continental Congress stated “For as much as it is the indispensable Duty of all Men to adore the superintending Providence of Almighty God…” “…That at one Time and with one Voice, the good People may express the grateful Feelings of their Hearts…” “…That it may please him graciously to afford his Blessing on the Governments of these States respectively, and prosper the public Council of the whole…” “…under the Providence of Almighty God, to secure for these United States, the greatest of all human Blessings, Independence and Peace…”.
George Washington on October 3rd, 1789 proclaimed, “Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor…” “…I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being…” “…That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks, for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country…” “…and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord…”.
In 1863 Abraham Lincoln said, “…To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God…” “…peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed…” “…No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy…”.
In 1941 the U.S. Congress passed a bill requiring Thanksgiving to be observed annually on the fourth Thursday of November. Since 1947 a live turkey has been presented to the President of the United States and subsequently “pardoned” and allowed to live out its days on the farm. The Turkey has become the featured Thanksgiving Day dish along with stuffing, cranberry sauce and other items like sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie.
Thanksgiving Day is a day to remember all that we are and all that we have to be thankful for, especially our friends and family. Most people can recall memories on Thanksgiving Day that serve as a reminder of what we have endured and all that we have accomplished. It is a day to reacquaint ourselves with family members and to build memories that will last for generations. Thanksgiving is a celebration of life and its many rewards.

Halloween ( Hallow Evening ) meaning “holy night”, the shortened form of “All Hallow Even” or Eve of All Saints Day is a celebration shared by both Christians and Pagans.

The Christian holiday All Saints Day fell on the first Sunday following the “Day of Pentecost” seven weeks after the resurrection of Christ when the “Holy Spirit” descended from heaven onto the followers of Jesus Christ essentially representing the birth of Christianity.

The Gaelic festival of Samhain was held on the Celtic New Year and was an early form of Memorial Day. It was believed that the boundary between this world and the next was weakened enough for loved ones to pass through and return home for a time. However, harmful spirits could also pass through the boundary so the Gaels would disguise themselves, using costumes and masks, to appear as harmful spirits and therefore be safe.

The Irish legend of “Stingy Jack”, dating back hundreds of years, involved carrying a candle in a hollowed out turnip. Apparently the North Americans found it more convenient to carve out a pumpkin thereby creating the modern day version of the Jack-O-Lantern. It is an eerie tradition considering the Celts were known to be headhunters and would sometimes display their trophies near doorways or by the fire.

Modern witches often consider their traditions to have Celtic origins so it is only natural that they would be active participants in the Halloween holiday.

Hollywood has certainly gotten in on the act with no end to the imagination of creatures and stories to be told combined with the ingenuity of capitalism which created every kind of item or thing one could ever need to make Halloween a complete celebration.

But ultimately Halloween will always be about the season of the bountiful harvest. Whether it’s an apple orchard, a corn field or a pumpkin patch the life giving rewards offered up by our planet Earth will always be something to celebrate.