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Thanksgiving Is A Holiday Of Many Interpretations Essay

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It is no secret that Thanksgiving is a holiday of many interpretations. Depending on which interest group is being asked, this day of observance can be accompanied by negative or positive connotations. According to its Google definition, Thanksgiving is “an annual national holiday marked by religious observances and a traditional meal including turkey.” Thanksgiving, as described in textbooks across the country, is a national holiday which came to be in Plymouth, Massachusetts during the year of 1621. In its prime, Thanksgiving has been described as “a three-day festival of eating, hunting, and other entertainment in honor of the pilgrims’ first successful harvest,” (History). What history textbooks around the world do not tell you is that these are only miniscule details regarding what the holiday actually commemorates. According to numerous sources, Thanksgiving has been given a negative reputation for laying the foundation of Native American suffering. A short film published by WatchCut on Youtube explores fifteen Native Americans and their one-worded responses to "Thanksgiving". Some of their answers include "sadness", "lies", "inaccuracy", and "colonization", though some voice that when they hear the word "Thanksgiving", they think about "family", "football" and "thankfulness". Above all else, they did not seem too keen on the idea of the holiday being the center of discussion. That is primarily due to a heavy history of generations of oppression, massacre, bloody

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