Thanksgiving

Sharing the Day

“Traditions are the guideposts driven deep in our subconscious minds. The most powerful ones are those we can't even describe, aren't even aware of.”

Ellen Goodman

I'll be honest with you, I'm not a very traditional person. Thanksgiving is something I honor every year, but not necessarily in the usual way. I don't feel slighted if my children have obligations elsewhere, or simply make plans to have Friends-giving. We are close enough, and I see them often enough, that I don't long to have the usual gathering on this particular day.

Traditions, however, are of great importance to many people. They set milestones in the year, beginning with New Year's day and ending with the high holy days of Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Christmas in December. Just as we have set rituals for certain Saint's days, for Holy Communion, for baptisms and weddings, our holy-day rituals remind us of who we are, and how we as a culture, or as a world, acknowledge our shared history. We tend to want to celebrate them the same way every year.

Because rituals and traditions are more than just eating certain foods on certain days, they hold extra psychic energy. They carry deeply embedded unconscious significance that has to do with bonding, belonging, and identity. They say, “I belong to this family, this community, this culture; I am one of them.”

When we have no one with whom to celebrate our high holy days, we feel outside the family of man. This is why it is important today to welcome the stranger, to gather in those who may be far from home, and share with them the bounty of your own blessing. Offer this traditional meal to someone who has, for whatever reason, found themselves outside the circle of life. In doing so, the true meaning of Thanksgiving is honored.

                                              In the Spirit,

                                                   Jane