In 1621, the Pilgrims celebrated their first harvest in the New World by sharing a three-day feast with Native Americans. This marked the beginning of a renowned tradition known as Thanksgiving. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday to be celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. Many families celebrated Thanksgiving with turkey and mashed potatoes. In 1963, John F. Kennedy started the trend of pardoning turkeys. Today, many families run 5Ks and watch football while celebrating Thanksgiving. However, one thing remains the same about Thanksgiving: the purpose. Thanksgiving is an opportunity to acknowledge what we are grateful for. 

At Flint Hill, we celebrate Thanksgiving in the “Week of Thankful Giving.” Each advisory has a specific Thanksgiving drive box. Students are assigned specific items to bring for their particular box. Each box has a different theme like clothing, food, or toiletries. At the end of the week, all of the boxes are collected and donated to local community organizations. It’s quite a sight seeing students carrying not only their books, but also an armful of paper towels, winter coats, or groceries for those in need.

Often, we forget about the people in need around us. We become obsessed with our performance in academics, athletics, and the arts. As we get closer to exams, we stress about our grades. Thanksgiving is an important reminder that people around us do not have shelter or even food to eat. This puts such concerns in their proper perspective. It is important to be thankful for what we have, to have a healthy perspective, and to give back to the people that need the most. This may be the most important lesson we learn all year.