In the early 17th century, the country of England dictated limits on expression of freedom and worship. Those who didn’t submit were jailed, punished and even put to death. A group of these people first fled to Holland and then later set sail for the New World aboard the Mayflower, where they could have absolute freedom of worship. The journey to the New World was a long and arduous one. In the first year, half the settlers perished.

The first Thanksgiving in 1621 was a celebration between 52 English colonists from the Plymouth Colony and approximately 90 Wampanoag people. This was a three-day celebration to give thanks for the colonists' successful first harvest after a brutal first year. This was not a one-time event, as both the colonists and the Wampanoag people had a tradition of Thanksgiving celebrations.

This was a celebration not with the goods we know today, as they were limited to organic vegetables and free-range turkeys. The feast was followed by a treaty that the groups formed for mutual protection. This is looked on by historians as a dark part of American history, as the colonists later went back on this treaty.

The colonists set up trading posts and traded furs with the tribes in exchange for guns and supplies. This led to more Puritans coming to the New World to establish what we know as the United States. It was not officially ratified as a national holiday until 1863, when Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day. It was to be filled with gluttony, football and naps.

Of all the holidays, I don’t believe there is one equal to Thanksgiving. It’s important for all of us to take a moment and realize how truly blessed we are, even when we have struggles and trials. It’s also a great time to eat to the point of bursting and take an old man nap on the couch with football playing in the background.

This also leads to many culinary discussions on what is the best way to prepare your turkey and the most favorite side dishes. For those of you thinking about deep frying your turkey, make sure it’s frozen and done on a wooden deck with lots of flammable wood within the splash zone. (Author is not responsible for any home fires.) In my humble opinion, the best way to prepare turkey would be in a wet brine for 24 hours and then smoked. The second best way would be deep fried, and third would be in the oven.

As for side dishes, there needs to be funeral potatoes – the ones with hash browns, sour cream and topped with corn flakes. This starchy delight shouldn’t be limited to someone dying. Green beans with cream of mushroom soup and fried onions are another staple that need to be included. After this, it gets more varied – a lump of canned cranberry sauce, sweet potato casserole, some Jello so we know the kids will eat something and Brussels sprouts if you are feeling sad and like punishment.

The traditional dessert would be pumpkin pie, which in my mind is baby food pretending to be adult food. There is nothing more American than apple pie, and that to me would be the appropriate Thanksgiving finale.

All of this leads to a tryptophan-induced coma on the couch where your body is wondering why you ingested 8,000 calories of food in a single sitting.

It’s my hope that you and yours have an enjoyable day, find many reasons to be thankful and focus on the positives in life that the good Lord has given you.