My spuds with gravy, please

Thanksgiving is rated in every survey as the best family holiday of the year. Not even Christmas is so centered for families as the last Thursday in November each year. There are a lot of reasons why it is considered the best family day, but I know what my reason is, THE FOOD!!! Our celebration of this day of thanksgiving is based on that first feast shared by the Pilgrims and their Indian friends shortly after the successful colonization in 1620. The Pilgrim records from those days indicate that they had a lot of fowl on the menu. Their hunters had killed enough game to last for close to a week. That had to be quite a bit as the Indians alone brought about 90 people to the gathering.

The feast itself lasted about three days. The Indians furnished five deer to supplement the ducks, geese, and turkey of the Pilgrims. There were very likely no cranberries, green beans, potatoes, or pumpkin pie. Those foods were not yet available. What they probably did have were some ground wheat or corn pudding type mixtures, and the corn only if the Indians had provided them with the maize seed.

When I was researching this article, I was surprised to find out that the Pilgrims would not have associated the term thanksgiving with the their harvest rejoicing.

To the devout Pilgrims, a day of thanksgiving was one of fasting and prayer not to be spent eating and enjoying oneself.

All over the world throughout time, there have been harvest festivities.

The Pilgrims were no different. They had survived the first hard year, and the colony looked as if might persevere. Thus they followed man's natural instincts and honored their bounty with a celebration.

It was not until the dark days of the Civil War that the modern day Thanksgiving was again celebrated. President Abraham Lincoln by proclamation created the holiday in 1863.

That year had seen some of the worst of the war including the costly but strategically decisive battles at Vicksburg and Gettysburg. Lincoln declared that the last Thursday of November would be a day of Thanksgiving in honor of what had happened.

Since then Thanksgiving has become our nations celebration of a time for thanksgiving, a time to celebrate the harvest and bounty of our lives, and a time for families to gather.

It is a simple holiday in a lot of ways. We need no candy, jewelry, or flowers like we do for Valentines Day.

We need no green clothes or colored drinks like we find on St. Patrick's Day. There is no joke like that for April Fools. Neither do we hide eggs and candy as for Easter. There is no massive explosion of fireworks as on the Fourth of July. And finally there is no over indulgent presentation of gifts as on Christmas.

Instead we mostly just get together as families.

We have the turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, and well you know the rest, depending on your own family traditions.

Often we all eat until we can hardly move. Sit around and visit while the football games are on television. Some even go to places like the Plaza in Kansas City to watch them turn on the Christmas lights that evening. The common thread is food and family.

I love all the foods that are traditionally on the table, but I confess, the mashed potatoes and gravy are my favorite. I don't know what it is about turkey gravy, but there is something unique in its taste that makes it the best.

As I am writing this, I confess I can almost smell and taste it now.

On the serious side, we should stop and take a minute to consider what Thanksgiving means for others. Most of us have our holidays planned, but their are many people out there who will not get to enjoy the day as we do.

We all hope and pray that our young people in war will soon be home safe, and that next year they will be with their families for Thanksgiving. We also should think about the many people who for whatever reason don't get the chance to have a real family Thanksgiving dinner.

There are several organizations that do their best to make sure no one is left out on this special day. Many local people volunteer to help with these programs.

Somehow I suspect their reward is just as satisfying as is our own special meals. There is never a better feeling than the one you have when you have done something for others. It leaves a better taste than any food.

A final note about our Thanksgiving. Remember to be safe if you can.

Thanksgiving is the single most traveled holiday in America.

We lose a lot of people to accidents, so plan ahead and try to stay out of the worst of the traffic. Here's hoping you have a wonderful family Thanksgiving, and I hope you enjoy your mashed potatoes and gravy as much as I plan to.