I’ve always wondered about the nature of Thanksgiving. There is indeed something wonderful about a holiday that millions of people can share in, regardless of their religion or belief system.
Yet the rather dark and complicated history of Thanksgiving aside — how it began depends very much on who you ask — I can’t quite figure out the exact nature of the current holiday. I mean, that is, beyond the fact that people eat a big meal together on a Thursday.
Ostensibly Thanksgiving is a secular holiday, because ostensibly we are a secular nation. But if it is a secular holiday, then who exactly are we giving thanks to?