Thanksgiving

This story started long ago

Across those miles of Sea

In the land we know as America

A far off land to me

The Pilgrim Fathers left their native land

Bound for foreign shores

Searching for a different life

Amongst the native Indians

To learn their traditions and their laws

Eventually landing at Plymouth

Or Massachusetts as it is now known

Strangers in a foreign land

Where the seeds of their new life would be sown

The early days were a struggle

For the 102 pilgrims that settled there

As lack of food was always a problem

But overcame by care

The Wampanoag Indians saw their plight

Providing seeds for them to cultivate

And even taught them how to fish

Supplying extra meals on their plate

They tilled the land and sewed the seeds

In 1621 their Harvest bore a good yield

And 2 years later with Governor Bradford

Thanksgiving day was revealed

Initially a “fast”  and “feast” to celebrate

Successful harvest of crops from the ground

Becoming a long and lasting tradition

Celebrated through the years

By Americans right across the land

With lots of laughter and tears

Some say there is doubt where the day first started

Be it Virginia or Plymouth it seems

And even the dates tend to vary

If taken to great extremes

Abraham Lincoln during his term

In an effort to get North and South to unite

Proclaimed the date as Last Thursday in November

To last the whole day and night

It stayed that way  until 1941in December

When Franklin D. Roosevelt made his decree

That the fourth Thursday in November , by Federal legislation

Was the day Thanksgiving would forever be

But in Canada it was slightly different

Because of the climate change

Their harvest were obviously earlier

So a more suitable date they had to arrange

In 1957 The  Parliament of Canada had to decide

Once again their choice to decree

That the second Monday in October

Was when their Thanksgiving would be

So eat and drink and enjoy yourselves

What more is there for me to say

Be you Canadians or Americans

It’s your Thanksgiving Day

Dennis Shrubshall  27th November 2011