Thanksgiving!

[SnowAngel]

Thanksgiving is just three weeks and two days away. So, how do you celebrate Thanksgiving? What things are you thankful for?

I'm thankful for...
~God,
~Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for my sins
~My wonderful parents
~My awesome brothers and sisters
~My grandparents and the rest of my relatives
~The Bible
~The members of our Armed Forces and the sacrifices they make for our freedoms every day
~Chocolate
~Love
~NarniaWeb
~And I'm thankful that I'm homeschooled.

This is just the beginning of my list... there will be more.

SnowAngel

[Princess Anna]

As for celebrating...
the way most people probably do. Get together with family and eat foods associated with that holiday (turkey, stuffing, cranberries, pie, etc).

And when it comes to what I'm thankful for? There are so many things, that I couldn't even begin to make a list. But I suppose the one I'm most aware of, is the obvious one. That God loves and saved me, even though I don't deserve it. After that, everything else seems less important anyway...

[Queen Susan]

This Thanksgiving our family is going to my Grandparent's house and spending the day there with my sister, her husband, and my niece. And of course, we'll fill ourselves with delicious food.

And ditto PA, I don't know how I'd start to make a list!!
Quick though:
-God's grace, mercy, love, justice, providence, etc. and that He saved me.
-Family
-Wonderful friends
-Our church

[Shadowlander]

Ahhhh Thanksgiving! My 2nd favorite holiday of the year. A big fresh roasted turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, candied yams, buttery corn, dinner rolls, turnips (don't knock em' ), cranberries (I prefer the jellified stuff), piles of dinner rolls, and a tall glass of apple cider. And that's before one gets to dessert; pumpkin pies, apple, mince, blueberry, cherry, and some whipped cream for all of them. And best of all the post-feast nap....2 hours of pure, unadulterated happiness on my comfy recliner. Does it get better?

Oh wait...I have to work that night. Blah.

I'm grateful for all the same reasons as above, as well as for my pretty wife, our neurotic rat terrier who thinks I'm a chew toy, our house, and our continued good health.

[wild rose]

Where i come from we don't celebrate thanksgiving (meaning in the country in which i live ) but i know about thanksgiving due to the fact that i am educated in an American school. On thanksgiving we usually just get together and say what we are thankful for

For the things that i am thankful for hmmm i don't know where to begin
just a few things are
-For Jesus and that he is my Savior
-For my big family and that we are together (six kids +mom+dad)
-For the fact that i am home-schooled in a christian school
-For Love
-For the blessings that God gives

[Princess Anna]

cranberries (I prefer the jellified stuff)

Same here! I don't know why, but I always liked the jellied cranberries from a can best. Seems like our Thanksgiving meals are quite similar. My family doesn't eat all of the things you do, but most. Isn't that something?

That's neat, wild rose!

Hearing about everyone else's traditions is quite interesting, I must say.

[IloveFauns]

We don't celebrate thanks giving her in Australia. Well 90% to 95% of us don't. I am part of that 90% to 95%. Semms simlair to christmas execot you say thanks you to stuff and don't give out presents.(usually).

[Shadowlander]

We don't celebrate thanks giving her in Australia. Well 90% to 95% of us don't. I am part of that 90% to 95%. Semms simlair to christmas execot you say thanks you to stuff and don't give out presents.

Thanksgiving commemorates the successful starting of the Plymouth colony by the Pilgrims up in Massachusetts. The colonists had a rough time of it there for the first couple of years and were practically starving. They made friends with the locals and did a whole lot of praying and God gave them the go-ahead and they survived. So in thanks to God they held a sort of harvest festival, something that was fairly common in Europe at their time (and may still be), and celebrated by making a lot of food and inviting their local Native Americans to join in. The menu was a hodge podge of game animals like deer and I've read even swans (I'm still not sure if they had actual turkey at the festivities), as well as local plants like squash. Every year after that they held the same celebration and eventually it spread beyond the borders of Plymouth and on down to the rest of us. I want to say that Thanksgiving was a well known thing about the time the Founders set up the USA, but I'm not 100% sure.

Most folks here celebrate with a turkey although many homes will cook a ham of some type either in lieu of or in addition to the "bird". There's also the big parade on TV that they have on live from New York City, as well as a football game (usually). And everyone overeats because the food is so good and you don't get to eat like this everyday and we all end up taking super long naps afterwards. Plus usually there's so much turkey that people end up eating leftovers for at least a week. Personally I love a good turkey sandwich with some stuffing, butter, salt and pepper. MMMM. Turkey is goooooooooood eatin'!

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

Yeah, I don't celebrate it. I think it's one American tradition that wouldn't be bad to adopt (unlike Halloween).

I'm thankful for:

Father, Son, Spirit
God's grace, love, mercy etc.
Faith, creativity
Salvation
Food, shelter, clothing
Family
Friends
Interests and possessions
Books
Excellent entertainment like LOST

[littlgriz]

i mis selabrating thanks giving wwith our famley in the usa k im thank ful fore my friendas fasmley
most of all mim thank ful fore the lord JESUS and his sacrefice on the cross

[narnian_at_heart]

I like Thanksgiving because my birthday is the day after it.

[MissAravis]

I looooove Thanksgiving! And that has nothing to do with the fact that I have school off that week!
Seriously though, I'm really looking forward to it. I need a break. For the past few years we've gone to this huge house in a town a couple hours from where we live and rented it for a few days, and my grandparents and aunt, uncle, and cousin come stay with us. It's soo much fun. I love spending time with my relatives.

I am thankful for...
The Lord, just for being who He is, and also for working in my life and showing His mercies to me each and every day
My family
My friends
Everything I too often take for granted... food/clothing/shelter, etc.
Music
Great people who create great music :]
The internet

[KJane]

I enjoy this holiday. This year I will contribute to the deserts by baking cookies.

[220chrisTian]

Great thread, SnowAngel!

Shadowlander, I'm totally with you on the food! Turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie... It's also my 2nd favorite holiday of the year. Easter and Christmas are tied for first.

Music
Great people who create great music :]
The internet

Ditto! I thank God every day for Twitter, Facebook, NarniaWeb, Aslan's Country, WordPress... It's all about reconnecting, and sharing God's Word, salvation, and love. And I thank God for YouTube: Gaither, Brooklyn Tab, Selah, TRBC music, etc! What would I do without them?

Okay, here's my list. It's also a blog post.

Lord Jesus, I just want to thank You today for …
-creating me
-putting breath in my body
-waking me up this morning
-putting food on the table, clothes on my back, shoes on my feet, and a roof over my head
-giving me a car to drive
-guiding and protecting me
-loving me
-dying and rising again for me
-conquering sin, death, and hell
-interceding for me
-hearing and answering my prayers
-forgiving my sins
-building me a mansion in heaven
-giving me a Pentecostal mother
-giving me a church family
-Your grace and mercy
-Your righteousness
-Your justice
-Your peace
-Your lovingkindness
-Your provision
-Your healing
-Your might and power
-Your holy Word
-Your Holy Spirit

… but why stop there?

And let's not forget Charlie Brown. I loved seeing them on the Mayflower last Thanksgiving! Thank God for Christian messages at this time of year.

Check out these songs. Enjoy!
Thank You, Lord
Thank You for the crossThank You Jesus
Jesus, thank You
Still say, thank You
Jesus we just want to thank You
Give thanks
Great is thy faithfulness
Thank You, Lord
Thank You Lord for your blessings

[TheGeneral]

I have two Thanksgivings. One on Thursday, which is a small celebration with just my family and my grandma. And one on Friday, which is with all the relatives on my Dad's side. I usually play football with my cousins at the middle school, and later play Age of Empires (not sure how that tradition started), and of course eat turkey. Sometimes my relatives from Germany come over, that's always fun.

[Pattertwigs Pal]

I love hearing about others traditions!
Since when my sister and I were young we lived too far away from family to get together on holidays, we started our own family traditions. Now that we live closer to our grandparents, things are a little trickier. My grandparent's idea of Thanksgiving is to go out to Old Country Buffet or get pre-made food from a restaurant or store. They refuse to come down to our house. It would make a lot of sense for them to come down since our place is bigger, and we enjoy cooking. We feel that it is important to spend time with my grandparents but hate giving up our family traditions. We usually end up having two Thanksgiving celebrations one with my grandparents and aunt and the other at home. This year my mom, sister, and I are going up the day before Thanksgiving to take my grandparents out to lunch, and we are having our Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving. The four of us (my parents, my sister and me) usually have breakfast altogether (a thing that only happens on holidays or special occasions). Most times we have eggs and cinnamon rolls. Sometimes we buy Pillsbury ones and other times we make homemade applesauce cinnamon rolls (healthier and better tasting ). Then we watch the Macy's parade on TV. Usually the parade is on in the living room and my mom, dad, and I miss parts of it to start on preparing food. My dad does the turkey, and my mom and I do the rest of the food. While watching the parade, I work on cross stitch lamb ornaments. (My sister and I make one for each child in our Sunday school class one for Christmas. The lamb represents Jesus). My sister usually is in charge of setting the table and folding napkins. We have turkey, stuffing, rolls, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, favorite rice (Uncle Ben's Broccoli Rice Au Gratin) and apple pie for dessert. Only my dad likes cranberries. He used to get the jelly kind, and we would try to get it to come out and stay in the shape of the can. We usually eat mid afternoon. Someday during the weekend we go shopping. A lot of times we go to a huge mall a couple hours away the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

And let's not forget Charlie Brown. I loved seeing them on the Mayflower last Thanksgiving!

We watch the two Charlie Brown Thanksgiving specials on Thanksgiving too. In fact, the Charlie Brown /Peanuts specials are part of most of our holiday traditions.

Yeah, I don't celebrate it. I think it's one American tradition that wouldn't be bad to adopt (unlike Halloween).

I wish more places would celebrate it or something like it. Too many holidays focus on “what can I get out of it.” (I’m talking about the secular side to the holidays). I wish we would put more of a focus on it in the US. It so often gets hidden between Halloween and Christmas. The stores go right from Halloween to Christmas stuff. Not that I’m advocating that the holiday goes totally commercial, but a few nice harvest decorations / signs about being thankful wouldn’t hurt. By total commercial, I mean tacky yard decorations such as a huge inflated turkey. (Yes, I have seen one. It had a pilgrim hat on ). I firmly believe that Christmas decorations / merchandise should not be put out until after Thanksgiving (except in craft stores because projects can take a long time). [This is kind of off the topic, but then again, it is also one of our traditions to complain about the above. ]

I am thankful for:

1. God’s gift of Jesus to save us
2. All God has done for me (including but not limited to meeting my basic needs)
3. My family
4. Our three cats: Mystery (mine), Shadow (my sister’s), Blitzen (my mom’s)
5. The Chronicles of Narnia (first and foremost the books, then the BBC movies, finally the Walden Movies and the FotF Radio Theater version. I’m especially thankful that VDT is being made [as long as it doesn’t stray too far from the book].)
6. NarniaWeb (I love the discussions and finding people I have things in common with. I also like learning from what others say.)
7. My car (It is so cute and the perfect size for me. It is a light blue Toyota Prius with a backup camera.)
8. My parents’ allowing me to live at home until I get a teaching job
9. Having had five interviews
10. Books
11. My Narnia stuffed animals (official (sold by Disney): Aslan, Reep, and Trufflehunter; unofficial: Pattertwig, Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, Glimfeather, and Jewel) and other Narnia items.
12. DVDs (especially of older TV shows)

Maybe I should add that I'm thankful that people take the time to read long posts.