Thanksgiving: A Classic Example Of American Holidays In The Thanksgiving Day

American culture is made up of a number of different influences one of them being holidays. On of those esteemed holidays is Thanksgiving, which was made a national holiday in 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln (History.com Staff). It was made a holiday at the time in order to bring the nation together during a time of pain and suffering. In this day and age, it is meant for families to come together and give thanks for what they have over a large meal, which is surrounded by football games, family recipes, and shopping. Thanksgiving, a ritual Americans have done for generations is a classic example of American civil religion. Because it brings together what it means to be an American, but at the same time ignores the history of some American

Thanksgiving is “center[ed] on cooking and sharing bountiful meal with family and friends” (History.com Staff). Illustrating how Thanksgiving directly plays a part in American civil religion; the part of bringing the family together. Being as though a big part of American culture is ingrained in the idea of family, it is important that a part of its ‘religion’ would be tied to family. While is it is clear that Thanksgiving is a classic example of American civil religion, there are still gaps in this

Long is able to agree with Bellah that American civil religion exists, he highlights the fact that it takes away different aspects of history and it is only applicable for certain people. Thanksgiving while it’s purpose is to bring together families and demonstrate a sense of gratitude, it does not truly highlight how it came to be. Long argues that, “a great deal of writings and discussions on the topic of American religion has been… serving to enhance, justify, and render sacred the history of European immigrants in this land” (Long 212). Thanksgiving truly came into American history from the interactions of the Pilgrims and the Native Americans. Today, the story is told to children as if the relationship was perfect. When in actuality years later the Native Americans were persecuted and killed by settlers in America over land. Long is pointing out how the European immigrant’s history is made to seem pristine and in relation to Thanksgiving it is. In taking away the part of death and difficulties from the story it clouds over the truth, thus taking away the history of some American