Giving Thanks on Thanksgiving

Dedication: I would like to acknowledge the Indigenous People for the sacrifices that they made so many Americans can celebrate Thanksgiving. May we never forget.

Fun fact. Thanksgiving became a national holiday when the 16th President Abraham Lincoln declared it as one during the Civil War. However, it wasn’t until 1941 that Congress declared it to be celebrated on the last Thursday in November. It was believed to be just in time for harvest season and holiday shopping.

Today, many of us have reappropriated this day to symbolize gratitude.Giving thanks is what most people do daily but Thanksgiving provides space for more people to reflect on their blessings. 

Thanksgiving at my Grandmother’s brownstone in Brooklyn was epic. Preparation began weeks before, the pantry stuffed to capacity with cans, cornbread and cake mix. The plates and bowls that we rarely used were cleaned, the festive table cloth would be covered with a transparent tablecloth predicting the spills that would inevitably happen  later on. 

All hands were on deck if you were not of age you had to go sit in the den and stay out of the kitchen. Grandma would use a mallet to crack a brown haired coconut open for her pineapple and coconut cake. She would let me drink the remnants of the juice.  An acquired taste for a kid.

On Thanksgiving Day, Grandma would glide down the steps during the wee hours of the morning to put the  stuffed turkey in the oven.  I would wake up about 8 to prepare for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade and to watch  black and white version of what I knew as March of the Wooden Soldiers but was called Babes in Toyland. I knew that it was almost time to get dressed.

We got dressed up on Thanksgiving. We looked sharp and like love. Plus it was literally a family reunion in November so we had to put on. Before dinner was served, we would gather in a circle as my Grandmother blessed the food and she required each of us to cite a bible verse. If you didn’t know one she would tell you to say “ Jesus wept”.  After plates that reminded us of our African diaspora roots via North Carolina, we feasted on collard greens seasoned with smoke turkey, stuffing, yams, sweet potato pie, potato salad, mac and cheese and canned cranberry sauce that dripped on the plate giving the food an array of colors. Sometimes, My Aunt Rita would have a birthday on Thanksgiving so it was a double celebration.

After that we had to prepare for our family talent show. Everyone gathered in the den to display their talent. One Thanksgiving one of my little brothers sang H-Town’s - Knockin the Boots. My Grandmother had no clue but she encouraged him by saying “ Go head”. We all had a little chuckle. My mom and her sisters sang Sister Sledge “ We are Family.” I come from a singing family so although I can belt a tune , I knew my place. So I would often read something or say a poem. 

The Dancehall artist Beanie Man once sang “ Memories don't live like people do,They always 'member you,Whether things are good or bad,It's just the memories that you have.” Today, I am grateful for my ancestors that paved a way for me, I am grateful for my loved ones. I am grateful for new traditions and I am grateful for you. Let’s be mindful of giving thanks everyday. I love you!