The Yankees’ Thanksgiving Day

 

It is not proof of American Exceptionalism.  After all, even the heathen Romans saw the value of gratitude:

In truth, O judges, while I wish to be adorned with every virtue, yet there is nothing which I can esteem more highly than being and appearing grateful. For this one virtue is not only the greatest, but is also the parent of all the other virtues.

--Cicero, https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Cicero; also, https://www.commonsenseethics.com/blog/5-signs-you-lack-gratitude-according-to-cicero

Far more importantly, however, it is during the celebration of the Divine Liturgy within the Orthodox Church, and not in heretical Yankee ideas and practices, that the ultimate experience of Thanksgiving is found:

The dread Mysteries, full of such great salvation, which are celebrated at every Liturgy, are also called a Thanksgiving [Eucharistia] because they are the remembrance of many benefits, and they signify the culmination of God’s Providence towards us, and in every way cause us to be thankful to Him.

--St John Chrysostom (+407), http://orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/gratitude.aspx

More sweet words from the Holy Archpastor John on thanksgiving:

If you blaspheme, you have driven away God’s assistance, made the devil more vehement against you, and involved yourself even more in suffering; but if you give thanks, you have driven away the plots of the evil demon, and you have drawn the care of God your Protector to yourself.

--https://blog.obitel-minsk.com/2018/03/st-john-chrysostom-on-giving-thanks.html

Let us give thanks to God continually. For, it is outrageous that when we enjoy His benefaction to us in deed every single day, we do not acknowledge the favor with so much as a word; and this, when the acknowledgment confers great benefit on us. He does not need anything of ours, but we stand in need of all things from Him. In point of fact, thanksgiving adds nothing to Him, but it brings us closer to Him. For if, when we recall the benefactions of men, we are the more warmed by affection for them; much more, when we continually bring to mind the benefits of the Master towards us, shall we be more earnest with regard to His commandments. For this cause Paul also said, Be ye thankful. For the best preservative of any benefaction is the remembrance of the benefaction, and a continual thanksgiving for it.

--http://orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/gratitude.aspx

(Thanks to C for the above quotes and links.)

To further undermine the case for ‘Pilgrim pride’ over establishing a tradition of thanksgiving, there is the little matter of the Spanish in North America doing so long before them in 1541:

https://www.reginamag.com/the-real-thanksgiving-story/

Via https://www.lewrockwell.com/political-theatre/the-real-thanksgiving-story/

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Holy Ælfred the Great, King of England, South Patron, pray for us sinners at the Souð, unworthy though we are!

Anathema to the Union!