On thanksgiving the traditional way

[nadinbrzezinski]

And I do not mean the turkey, potatoes yams and all that.

What is the origin of this holiday? Why do we do this? Ok, let's forget the Presidential declarations and all that. Or the fact that I am all but a religious person. This rite of the Harvest goes back a LONG time. What it is supposed to be is a reminder in some ways between we who enjoy the bounty of the land, and the land itself. In ancient times sacrifices were offered to the Gods, to give thanks for the bounty of the land. Some of those rites would be extremely alien, and even pornographic to our modern sensitivities, but some have survived even to today. Yes, celebrations in the name of Bachus led to orgiies, called Bachannals. The gods of ancient Persia, (well before Zoroaster) as well as Egypt, required that the Leaders prove their sexual prowess and things like the oldest profession, well it was done in Temples.

But there are other aspects of these sacrifices that have survived across the centuries. Things like a simple prayer. Well some years back, oh decades actually, we were invited by one of our crew to the Ranch, to celebrate the equivalent feast. Now nominally Mexico is a Catholic country, but his family came from American Indian and Spanish stock, and still remembered their Indian heritage. So there were several things done that day, as well as offerings on the table that were far removed from your standard fare of your thanksgiving dinner.

As I learned through the course of the feast there was mother corn. For those of you of Native American extraction you know why the great mother was there. There was also rattler, who is not only nourishing to the soul, but can kill. A reminder of the balance between life and death. Squash flowers, nopales, squash, chiles and moles, as well as pork, the full boar... nothing left for the imagination. There were also dishes of Ants and of course a couple made of worms... and plenty of drink.

Before anybody would eat, first there was a circle drawn on the ground and the four cardinal points were drawn on the ground. Then libations of blood, (chicken) and hard drink (Mezcal) were given,as well as water and plain earth, and the prayers were a mixture of a catholic mass and ancient American Indian prayers. After the communion, the sacrifice, which was a tamale stuffed with both plant and animal matter, we went to the table to eat, but not before all took a sip of the Mescal... that white strong liquid that looks like milk, but trust me does not taste like milk.

The feast lasted all day, and all kinds of foods were consumed in small quantities. At the end of the day some of the left overs were taken to the fire and burned as a burnt offering.

So this coming Thursday realize some folks will just have a good meal with friends, but for a few this is a true celebration of life and death and the connections between the all in that circle of life. And that is the actual origin of these feasts, whether celebrated in Ancient Greece. or Turkey. or Mexico... or China... it does not matter. They have an actual historic origin that goes well beyond Plymouth Rock.

Oh and enjoy, and have a good feast... and try to feel those connections across the span of time as well as that circle of life...

Oh and to my crew member, and his family... que dios los bendiga, y les de agua para el maiz y mezcal para el alma.... (may god bless you and give you water for the land and mezcal for the soul)

[LWolf]

1. I just wish it was the last week of October,

when a harvest feast makes more sense, and when it doesn't disrupt the school year.

I'd love the time off in October, my favorite month. I'd love to combine Thanksgiving week with halloween, and not have to deal with the halloween frenzy and sugar rush at school.

I'd love for their to be more than 3 weeks between thanksgiving break and winter break.

As for celebrating the harvest, and giving thanks for what we've got, in whatever way we choose to celebrate and give thanks...

I'm all for it.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. It was closer to October at one point

after all a fixed date is more or less modern and the choice of the date has a lot more to do with Macy's than the harvest. That said, with global warming, the season is now longer.

[mrcheerful]

3. Thanks giving is just the smoke screen to cover up the fact that when

the people of Plymouth couldn't grow anything in the new land they murdered and stole it from the natives. Funny how it wasn't until the internet came along did I start seeing things wrote about the pilgrims that wasn't taught in the class room. School history was always amusing to me, The reason the Saginaw river doesn't freeze in the winter when its 10 below outside is the rivers currents run to fast. Ahhhhhh excuse me mr teacher but how come this book about the Saginaw river shows pictures of ice being harvested off the river? Oh thats because they made the saginaw river deeper for the ore ships bringing iron ore to the foundries, But this picture was taken after they had done that Sir. The book lied and I got sent to visit the principle, LOL.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. Well what you were taught in school is not even the real history

The modern version of Thanksgiving goes to Lincoln and the Civil War.

Now reality is that Thursday, regardless of what you learned in school, or afterward, is an opportunity to try to find a connection with the land.

That was the lesson of that dinner... which was as alien as me trying to go to the moon. I also later learned that as a Ladina (white) it was quite the honor to be invited as I became an honored member.

So even though I am all but a religious person, or spiritual for that matter, I know that this is a sacred opportunity going back not a hundred years, not even to the Saginaw River, or Plymouth Rock, but part of what makes us human. That ability to connect, with community and the planet.

[GMA]

5. Thank you!

Regardless of the arguments about the holiday, I always see it as a time to be grateful.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. You welcome and welcome to DU

:hi:

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. kick