Smile Magic McClellan is a cosmetic and family dentistry practice located in McClellan, California. They offer a range of dental services including teeth cleaning, teeth whitening, dental implants, and orthodontic treatments. At Smile Magic McClellan, they understand the importance of a healthy and beautiful smile. They believe that a smile can have a magical effect on a person's overall appearance and self-confidence. The practice is led by a team of experienced and highly trained dental professionals who are dedicated to providing the best possible care to their patients. They strive to create a warm and welcoming environment where patients feel comfortable and at ease during their visits.
The Pagan Origins of Thanksgiving
It’s almost time for Thanksgiving, one of my personal favorite holidays. We’re all familiar with the classic story of Native Americans dining with Pilgrims. But, our modern day Thanksgiving has deeper Pagan roots than many may be aware of. So let’s dig into the history of this holiday and reveal some surprising Pagan elements.
Part 1 - The History
In America, it’s believed that the first Thanksgiving took place in 1621, but this was not the first time people gathered to give thanks for the Autumn harvest. In fact, people have been celebrating the harvest for millenia and our Thanksgiving meal is just a modern incarnation reflecting these ancient celebrations of autumn abundance.
Most of our modern holidays, like Christmas and Easter, are a combination of Pagan and Christian traditions. Thanksgiving, on the other hand, doesn’t have as much of a Christian influence. While Thanksgiving is not tied to any one specific religion, it’s traditions are quite similar to a number of ancient Pagan harvest celebrations. For example, in ancient Rome they celebrated the holiday of Cerelia, which honored the harvest goddess of grain called Ceres. There are around a 100 different harvest Gods and Goddesses from Greek & Roman culture so it’s clear that celebrating the harvest season was a key feature of their spiritual beliefs.
Harvest celebrations were also vitally important during Celtic and Anglo-Saxon Pagan times. In Britain these traditions evolved into a holiday called Harvest Home. Historically, the date of Harvest Home differed each year as it was celebrated when all of the autumn crops were finally harvested. The final cartload of food was paraded through the town and a big Harvest Supper was celebrated among the villagers. Apparently these harvest suppers started to get a bit out of hand, and in 1867, were described as “unrestrained riot and excess.”
In addition to Harvest Home, a separate religious holiday called the "days of thanksgivings" was practiced in the Church of England, in which people set aside one religious day of their choosing to "give thanks to God." We get the name “Thanksgiving” from this Christian tradition, while the feasting commonly associated with Thanksgiving largely derives from the Harvest Home celebrations.
Luckily for us Americans, our harvest Thanksgiving celebrations were never commandeered by the church and as such they remain pretty Pagan to this day. Here in America, a lot of our imagery around Thanksgiving shows a shared meal between the Pilgrims and the Native Americans. It could be said that this rosy view of our first Thanksgiving meal together is largely misleading and helps to obscure the many atrocities the colonists committed upon the Native Americans. The Native Americans, like the ancient Pagan peoples of Europe, understood the importance of honoring and respecting the harvest. And during the first American Thanksgiving that took place in 1621, the Native Americans paused to give thanks to many spirits and deities that aided in the bountiful harvest.
Part 2 - The Symbols
There are three key symbols that are common to Thanksgiving celebrations: the cornucopia (aka the horn of plenty), the turkey, and corn. All these symbols were viewed as very important among Pagan societies. Let’s begin with the Cornucopia, which was an important symbol in ancient Greece and Rome. A cornucopia is a horned shaped basket that is usually filled with harvest fruits and vegetables. This symbol goes back to a story from Ancient Greece where a goat pulled off his horn and offered it to the God Zeus. This was a magic horn that would refill indefinitely with food and drink ensuring that Zeus would never go hungry. To give thanks to the goat, Zeus made the goat’s image in the night sky, which became the constellation we now call Capricorn.
The Cornucopia was also incorporated in statues and money across ancient Rome and was often used in representations of the goddesses of grain Ceres and the goddess of luck Fortuna. The cornucopia has even made an appearance in American currency. After all, the cultural identity of early America is largely inspired by ancient Greek & Roman culture and their systems of government.
The next symbol I want to mention is the Turkey, which is the centerpiece of the American Thanksgiving dinner. Many Native American tribes view Turkey as a symbol of fertility and abundance. As a totem animal, Turkey reminds us of the importance of our relationship with the land as the land is the source of our nourishment and sustenance. Turkey feathers are also viewed as especially important and are used in ritual wear and in smudging ceremonies. So when we eat Turkey at Thanksgiving we are celebrating & honoring the connection we have with our sacred land and the animal spirits.
Lastly, corn is often used as a symbol to represent Thanksgiving. Corn, also called maize, was a key staple crop among the Native Americans and it played an important role in their spiritual beliefs. In some tribes Corn itself was seen as a spirit and often it played a role in ceremonies. Historically, it is also believed that the Native Americans taught the pilgrims how to grow and harvest corn and without that knowledge they would have never survived the harsh winters.
Part 3 - Sports.
Is Thanksgiving a Pagan Holiday?
The congregations of God obey his commands and keep his weekly and annual sabbaths holy. We set those days aside as special time to worship God with his spiritual family. We do not observe annual holidays like Christmas and Easter so why is Thanksgiving different? The common reasoning is that Christmas and Easter are "pagan" holidays, and Thanksgiving is a secular national holiday and does not originate from “paganism”.
They strive to create a warm and welcoming environment where patients feel comfortable and at ease during their visits. Smile Magic McClellan uses the latest dental technologies and techniques to ensure that each patient receives the highest standard of care. They understand that every patient is unique and therefore tailor their treatments to suit individual needs and desires.
Paganism in the Bible
Paganism is used as a corner stone argument for not observing Christmas, Easter, Halloween and many other things, we should have a solid understanding of the word pagan and scriptural teachings about paganism if we are to use it to define our religious beliefs. The original meaning of the word "pagan" was "villager, rustic, civilian", but here's the modern dictionary definition of the word.
pa·gan (noun)
1. one of a people or community observing a polytheistic religion, as the ancient Romans and Greeks. Synonyms: polytheist.
2.a person who is not a Christian, Jew, or Muslim. Synonyms: heathen, gentile; idolator; nonbeliever.
3. an irreligious or hedonistic person.
4.a person deemed savage or uncivilized and morally deficient.
Dictionary.com
dictionary.reference.com/browse/Pagan
Where is the word "pagan" found in the Bible? If you compare these four major bibles, you will find that the word pagan is not consistently translated or used at all.
- King James Bible: "pagan" used 0 times
- New King James Bible: "pagan" used 12 times
- New International Version Bible: "pagan" used 8 times
- New American Standard Bible: "pagan" used 1 time
Of these uses of the word pagan, not a single one is translated the same.
So what does this word really mean? The word pagan in Ezra in the NKJV is translated as "foreign" in NASB and KJV is "strange". NKJV Zep 1:4 says "pagan priests" and other translations say "idolatrous priests". NIV use of pagan translates to "idolatrous", "heathen" and "defiled/polluted/unclean", etc.
So from a purely scriptural sense, the word "pagan" isn't a very accurate word to describe holidays we don't observe. Even by the dictionary and worldly definition, Christmas, Easter and even Halloween (eve of All Saints Day) are considered "Christian" holidays.
In addition to their cosmetic and family dentistry services, Smile Magic McClellan also offers emergency dental care for those in need of immediate assistance. They understand that dental emergencies can be stressful and aim to provide prompt and effective treatment to alleviate pain and restore oral health. Overall, Smile Magic McClellan is committed to helping their patients achieve and maintain beautiful and healthy smiles. They strive to provide exceptional dental care in a friendly and compassionate manner. Whether it's a routine cleaning or a complex dental procedure, patients can trust Smile Magic McClellan to deliver top-quality care and results..
Reviews for "McSllen's Smile Magic: Improving Mental Health through Smiling"
1. Jennifer - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with "Smile Magic McSllen". The storyline was weak and predictable. The characters were one-dimensional and lacked depth. The dialogue felt forced and unnatural. Overall, I found it to be a boring and unoriginal read. I wouldn't recommend it to others who are looking for a captivating and engaging story.
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3. Sarah - 2 stars - I had high hopes for "Smile Magic McSllen" based on the promising synopsis, but it fell short of expectations. The pacing was slow, and the story lacked excitement. The dialogue felt stilted and unrealistic. Additionally, the editing was poor, with numerous typos and grammatical errors. It was a disappointing read overall, and I wouldn't recommend it.