Thanksgiving celebrates the Pilgrims first feast, at least the story goes
But first they dealt with hunger, cold and many unfriendly foes
Little could they have ever known as they went about that task
Here four centuries later, our festivity requires the wearing of a mask

Home front celebrations will differ much this year
As masks and social distancing mark the COVID fear
Anger and frustration are spread across the land
Along with those reminders that we must wash our hands

Among the doom and gloom that fills all too many days
Take time to count your blessings in oh so many ways
From your family that loves you to the food on the table
Too many have neither and are not nearly as able

Numerous difficulties still await us ahead
But unlike those Pilgrims we have a warm bed
So as your head hits the pillow for a good night’s rest
Recount the good things and try not to be stressed

Kitchens will be busy as meals are carefully planned
Yes, there will be football somewhere in this land
Soon Santa will be packing for his trip in December
Whoa, wait a minute, wasn’t the Masters in November?

Sports have always been a big part of this day
But the joy has been diminished by my Cowboys bad play
The Nittany Lions are stinko and the Eagles aren’t great
But Steelers fans are yearning for a Super Bowl date

Going to the games has been a thing of the past
Unless you’ve had your own cardboard likeness cast
You watch in envy as they sit silently in the stands
Not booing the officials or hearing the bands

It’s all just the nature of the times we are in
But it’s still upsetting if our teams don’t win
Winter is coming, but will we be in the gym?
If that doesn’t happen, things will be quite grim

Victories celebrated are a sports fan’s big joy
That’s the story since you’ve been a girl or a boy
Now we just hope that the games will be played
Do away with those words, cancelled or delayed

Ideally, we long for a return to days normal
With our children in school and a year-ending formal
Kids on playing fields with green grass growing
Enjoying their sports with young faces glowing

Now we all wait and that is the tough part
For the opponent we’re facing we have no game chart
But we do have vision, determination and grit
The tough games are won when players don’t quit

Gone are the days when those Pilgrims all gathered
But what they were celebrating still does matter
Regardless of how you will be spending this day
Happy Thanksgiving wishes are sent your way!
~ Scott N. Lowery

As a public service, or to make you sound smart at the Thanksgiving table, here are a few myths to ponder about that first Thanksgiving which took place in 1621.

The Pilgrims and their guests, the Wampanoag Indians, enjoyed turkey and pumpkin pie. The historical account says venison was served and some sort of fowl, but it didn’t mention turkey. Pumpkin was available but there is no record of the Pilgrims whipping up a pie.

The Pilgrims dressed in black and white and wore buckles on their shoes. No, they didn’t and there were no buckles on their shoes. The men and women dressed in various colors, including red.

Americans have eaten turkey at Thanksgiving because that is what was served at the first Thanksgiving. As noted in #1, that is false. A magazine editor, Sarah Josepha Hale, presented that theory and published it in a recipe book for turkey and stuffing.

Since 1621, American has been celebrating Thanksgiving every year since. Although there were Thanksgiving observances off and on over the years, it was not until President Lincoln issued an 1863 proclamation making the fourth Tuesday of November a national holiday. During the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt the date was moved to the fourth Thursday in November.

The presidential parson of a turkey started with Abraham Lincoln when his son begged his dad to save the animal. Lincoln’s son, Tad, did beg his father to save the turkey. The only problem with that as a Thanksgiving story is that Tad’s plea was to save the Christmas turkey! The presidential Thanksgiving turkey pardon had its beginning in 1989 by George H.W. Bush.

Happy Thanksgiving! Stay safe and enjoy the day the best you can.