As usual, I like to explore the origins of a holiday. For those who are not Americans and read my blog today, I hope you find it useful and entertaining. And for those who are, I hope I touch upon something that you find amusing.For America, Thanksgiving is probably the biggest holiday next to Easter, Yom Kippur, and of course Christmas.The earliest Thanksgiving celebrations took place in the British Colonies which are now known as Virginia and Massachussetts between 1619 and 1621.As the name suggests, the holiday is about giving thanks to the fruits of labor after the harvest. Nowadays, we give thanks for good health, our families, jobs,etc. In the US, it really is part of a four day long weekend traditionally which includes the closing of schools and other institutions.Following Thanksgiving which always takes place on the fourth Thursday of November every year is the notorious Black Friday, the official beginning of the Christmas shopping season where stores open very early to allow the madness to begin.Discounts are abound in his environment!And accidents of course. George Washington made it an officail holiday in 1789 in the Constitution and president Franklin D. Roosevelt made it official as teh fourth Thursday every November starting in 1939 andcongress put their stamp on it in 1941. Now as far as the Native American involvement, among the many Indians that helped the pilgrims survive when they settled in the New world,Squanto, was an interpreter,former slave, and taught them how to grow corn and hunt eel: A great Native American who helped bridge the gap...at least for awhile. I won't get into how the Indians were treated later.And of course, turkey is the bird if this day served with mashed potatoes with gravy, stuffing,cranberry sauce, the works! Ok, I hope you liked what I wrote. Take care! BKT