credit:The Restoration House

“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord.” Psalm 106:1

St. Athanasius, 4th C. Bishop of Alexandria, is said to have prayed:

We give Thee thanks, our Father, for the holy Resurrection which Thou has manifested to us through Jesus, Thy Son, and even as this bread which is here upon this table was formerly scattered abroad and has been made compact, so may Thy Church be reunited from the ends of the earth for Thy Kingdom, for Thine is the power and the glory, for ever and ever. [A Little Book of Table Graces, Appletree Press]

For millennia we’ve been thanking God for his many blessings , nowhere more joyously than in the United States of America on Thanksgiving Day.

And we Americans show our gratitude by giving of ourselves to others. According to the Christian Post, Americans are still giving during our most recent economic downturn:

Seven in ten adults (71 percent) said they will spend less money on holiday presents this year, according to the findings of a World Vision survey, conducted by Harris Interactive. But nearly half (49 percent) of U.S. adults responded that they are now more likely to give a charitable gift as a holiday present.

“These results underscore our altruistic American culture of giving back,” commented Justin Greeves, Harris Interactive vice president of public affairs and policy research.

He tied the World Vision survey with a recent study by The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University and observed that both show why total charitable giving has increased in 39 of the last 40 years - even during times of recession…..

This tradition of giving is joined on Thanksgiving by centuries of recipes, songs and games.

You may find yourself eating Plimouth Plantation Boiled Salad (17th C.), Shaker Scalloped Corn, Cranberries Braised in Red Wine (Benn Conger Inn, NY), Ancient New England Standing Dish of Pompions (pumpkins, 1672) — all accompanied by Mulled Cider and Hot Buttered Rum.

If you’re adventuresome you might try Plimouth Plantation White Ipocras (named after Hippocrates for his physician’s bag of herbs, this early American wine recipe includes sugar, cloves, crushed peppercorns, cinnamon and fresh ginger).

Don’t forget Marlborough Pudding, Sweet Potato Pie, Cranberry Pie, Furmenty, and, yes, Pumpkin and Pecan pies. [The Thanksgiving Book: An Illustrated Treasury of Lore, Tales, Poems, Prayers and the Best in Holiday Feasting]

If all this appears daunting, especially to the cook, consider this delightful advice mentioned three years ago on KFUO-AM:

After your turkey is cooked (which is usually before or after you’d like it to be), place the turkey in a clean, aluminum-foil lined cooler. Top the turkey with more aluminum foil, replace the cooler lid and gently shove the cooler out of harm’s way.

This gives you a couple of hours to (1) relax somewhat, (2) use the oven space for side dishes, (3) await a turkey that will not only be very warm but moister for the waiting. Hmmm…..tender. That’s something to be thankful for.

OK, time to tune up. We’re ready to sing “Over the River and Through the Wood,” “Turkey in the Straw,” “Prayer of Thanksgiving — “We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing; he chastens and hastens his will to make known….” this sung prayer is from the early 1600s, brought by Dutch settlers.

Anyone up for Charades?