Thanksgiving is a holiday celebrated in the United States and Canada, but its origins can be traced back to ancient pagan celebrations. The concept of giving thanks for a bountiful harvest is deeply rooted in many pagan traditions. One of the earliest pagan celebrations of gratitude for a successful harvest is believed to have taken place in ancient Greece. The Greeks held a festival called Thesmophoria, dedicated to the goddess Demeter, the deity of agriculture and fertility. During this festival, women would gather together to give thanks for a good harvest and pray for abundant crops in the upcoming year. In Rome, a similar festival known as Cerelia was observed in honor of the goddess Ceres, who was also associated with agriculture and fertility.
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”.
In Rome, a similar festival known as Cerelia was observed in honor of the goddess Ceres, who was also associated with agriculture and fertility. The festival included feasting, singing, dancing, and offerings made to Ceres as a way of expressing gratitude for the harvest. In Northern Europe, the celebration of Harvest Home was widely practiced by pagan communities.
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.
This festival marked the end of the harvest season and involved various customs such as communal feasts, bonfires, and the creation of corn dolls, symbolizing fertility and abundance. With the spread of Christianity, pagan traditions gradually merged with Christian practices. In the 16th century, the Protestant Reformation brought about changes in religious practices in England. The Puritans, a group of English Protestants, objected to many traditional Catholic rituals, including holidays such as Christmas and Easter. Instead, the Puritans sought to create their own days of thanksgiving to express gratitude to God for blessings and often for successful harvests. These days of thanksgiving were not fixed holidays but rather days of religious observance. When the Pilgrims arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620, they brought with them the tradition of holding days of thanksgiving. Their first recorded celebration of thanksgiving took place in 1621 after their first successful corn harvest. This event, commonly referred to as the "First Thanksgiving," is often considered the origin of the modern Thanksgiving holiday. Over time, Thanksgiving became an annual tradition in the United States, typically celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. The holiday has evolved to include various customs, such as turkey dinners, parades, and football games, but at its core, it remains a day for expressing gratitude for the blessings received throughout the year. In conclusion, while the origins of Thanksgiving can be traced back to pagan celebrations of gratitude for a bountiful harvest, the holiday has become a unique and cherished tradition in North America. Whether rooted in religious beliefs or cultural practices, Thanksgiving serves as a reminder to pause, reflect, and give thanks for the abundance in our lives..
Reviews for "Thanksgiving: A Time-Honored Pagan Tradition"
1. Emily - 2/5 stars - I was disappointed with "Origin of Thanksgiving Pagan". I was expecting a comprehensive historical analysis of the roots of Thanksgiving, but instead, I found it to be a biased and poorly researched book. The author seemed more focused on pushing their agenda of discrediting Thanksgiving's traditional origins rather than providing a balanced view. I would not recommend this book to those seeking an objective exploration of the holiday.
2. Jason - 1/5 stars - "Origin of Thanksgiving Pagan" was a complete waste of time. The author's claims about Thanksgiving having pagan origins were poorly supported with weak evidence and questionable sources. I found myself questioning the validity of their arguments throughout the entire book. Moreover, the writing style was dry and unengaging, making it difficult to stay interested. Save your money and find a better researched and well-written book on the topic.
3. Sarah - 2/5 stars - I decided to read "Origin of Thanksgiving Pagan" out of curiosity, but I regretted that decision. While the topic had the potential to be interesting, the author's constant repetition of the same points became tiresome quickly. It felt like the book lacked substance and failed to provide any new insights or fresh perspectives on the origins of Thanksgiving. Furthermore, the writing style was dull, which made it even harder to stay engaged with the content. I would only recommend this book to someone looking for a superficial overview of the topic.