Why We Celebrate Thanksgiving: Giving Thanks

In September 1620, a small ship called the Mayflower left Plymouth, England, carrying 102 passengers—an assortment of religious separatists seeking a new home where they could freely practice their faith and other individuals lured by the promise of prosperity and land ownership in the New World. After a treacherous and uncomfortable crossing that lasted 66 days, they dropped anchor near the tip of Cape Cod, far north of their intended destination at the mouth of the Hudson River. One month later, the Mayflower crossed Massachusetts Bay, where the Pilgrims, as they are now commonly known, began the work of establishing a village at Plymouth.

After enduring their first brutal winter on board ship where only half the passengers survived, they went ashore.  They were greeted by an Abenaki Indian. Several days later, he returned with another Native American, Squanto, These men helped the settlers understand their new environment, which plants were edible and which to avoid, and after one year and a successful crop, a celebration was held – or so the story goes.

The tradition of gratitude for a successful harvest continues with what now call Thanksgiving, where we join friends and family for a meal of gratitude.

Although traditions vary, we have come to expect turkey, roasted vegetables and pumpkin pie as part of the feast.  There are many other countries that celebrate gratitude with similar holidays but for different reasons.

We can all benefit from reflecting on people and events that have made us grateful, and thinking about ways that we can be of service and support to others.  At Paragon, we are grateful to have the opportunity to work with the most eclectic and beautiful group of people in the world. We are thankful to everyone who has helped our company grow these past 25 years.

With gratitude,

Your friends at Paragon!

Image resource: http://clv.h-cdn.co/assets/cm/15/09/54ead6c039511_-_thanksgiving-retro-food-1114-xln.jpg