ConsciousDonkey said:
As an outside observer, I find the american Thanksgiving to be a rather odd holiday. Because technically, they're celebrating how gullible natives helped white colonizers survive harsh winter, so they could return a few years later with an army, slaughter the natives and take their land. And they celebrate these events by... slaughtering and eating millions of turkeys. Old habits die hard, I guess?

All the stuff needed for a great thanksgiving dinner goes on sale in the weeks up to thanksgiving.

ConsciousDonkey said:
As an outside observer, I find the american Thanksgiving to be a rather odd holiday. Because technically, they're celebrating how gullible natives helped white colonizers survive harsh winter, so they could return a few years later with an army, slaughter the natives and take their land. And they celebrate these events by... slaughtering and eating millions of turkeys. Old habits die hard, I guess?

In theory (i.e. what we're told as children) is that the holiday began after a relatively meager harvest in the early colonial period. They were thankful to have survived, in part due to the natives' help and knowledge of the local land.

Now, whether it was those pilgrims that decidd to turn on the Native Americans or pilgrims who came later is entirely up in the air. One way or another, more pilgrims came, and the older pilgrims passed on this "thanks-giving" tradition where you express your gratitude for what you have in life, no matter how small.

Thanksgiving itself had little to do with the Native American genocide; it's more coincidental that they feature heavily in the holiday's supposed origins.

But there's not much we can do to change the past, man. What's done is done.

What kind of spice do you use for a gryphon? In this case, just a bit of "Mrs. Dash" will do. :)

Or is that "Miss Dash"? ;)

I came here for the art.
Not a...

History Lesson

Vingich35 said:
You both have good points. As an American, I can tell you that most Americans KNOW about the genocide that happened before and after the first thanksgiving. As a matter of fact, it is taught in school. But most people just use it as an extended weekend that they can relax, eat dinner with their family, and be happy. The majority of holidays have nothing to do with their initial origin. For example Santa Clause has nothing to do with the origins of Christmas. And the same goes for holidays of every nation on this planet. Plus, not every American eats turkeys. I don't like how it tastes. "Conscious"Donkey acts like people from his country don't eat meat and kill many animals as well. Where are you from anyway?

Personally I don't feel the native genocide is relevant to it much, people often forget the way things were in the past, for instance many of those pilgrims were not really wanting to come, there were a lot of people coerced or forced to board those ships cause monarchs wanted to colonize, and sadly for all their cool culture and the like the natives were really behind in weapons and society, and at that time in history sadly that was what happened to most such groups. I try to take it as we were worse then across the board and no side technically had clean hands, but we are not guilty of our father's sins and a holiday that brings families together and helps ya to be thankful for the life you got is worth keeping I think.

:]