My Thanksgiving: A Brief Ethnography

My Thanksgiving: A brief Ethnography
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My Thanksgiving: A brief Ethnography
What is currently known as the national Thanksgiving Day did not exist until 1863. Before then, Indian pilgrims celebrated a harvest feast, which was the earliest of the thanksgiving celebrations. It lasted up to three days with hunting of deer and jubilation.
Modern-day Thanksgiving Day is only one day. It takes a full day to bring things together, but the actual celebration is only in the evening. Moreover, the social activities have drastically changed from what the Pilgrims practiced, clearly depicting culture-changing characteristics (Haviland et a., 2014, 40). Today it is more on brand to have turkey, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauces instead of deer hunting. For Thanksgiving, everyone is invited to the table, except children do not typically stay up with the adults for long.
Of importance is the division of labor for the thanksgiving preparation. It is perhaps one of the most important celebrations that Americans look forward to yearly, so a lot of planning goes into that. The host cooks the turkey, and the filling, sauce, and pies can randomly be distributed among other family members to bring on the day. Because different people have different thanksgiving preparation methods, gathering data is crucial to ensure all fronts are covered (Haviland et al., 2014, 55).
The turkey is symbolic as a national emblem for wealth and being able to feed many. Traditionally, the turkey is carved by men to signify their ability to provide for their families. Before the meal is shared, there is a ritual of going around the table with every person declaring what they are thankful for, which brings a common purpose.
As the name suggests, it is a day to give thanks for the year and look forward to the future. Even as the practi...