Monday, November 19, 2012

Around the World Thanksgiving!

What are you Thankful for?


I think I need to ask myself this question more often because I often get caught up in the chaos and forget all the wonderful things around me.  Sure, I have 25 people coming to the house in 3 days, I have possible jury duty tomorrow, and a daughter with a cold who is too sick to go to school today, BUT, I'm having 25 members of a wonderful family come to my house for a great (hopefully) meal, I live in a country where justice is a priority, and my kids are actually pretty healthy most of the time!!  Life is good.  Giving thanks is important and it seems like Americans are starting to forget the spirit of the holiday - it's just the day to fuel up with turkey and stuffing before hitting the malls tomorrow at 3 am.  Now, I'm not saying you can't hit the stores at 3am (you can, I'm not), but remember to ENJOY your family this holiday and be thankful for the bounty of food and opportunities that we have in America. 

This week, instead of learning about just one country, we are going to look at a few different countries and their "thanks - giving" holidays.  There were a few to choose from but we decided on the Pongol Festival in Southern India, Chuseok in Korea, and the Harvest Festival in the United Kingdom.  These festivals are all about giving thanks for the bountiful food that the Earth provides, and respecting and loving your families and ancestors.  I hope you all enjoy the posts and I am also thankful to you for reading our blog.  Happy Thanksgiving!