Thanksgiving Traditions in Georgia

Note – the flag on the right looks dirty and dingy doesn’t it? You can’t tell, but it has 48 stars on it. It was produced back in the mid ‘40s,

This will be my Thanksgiving message for tomorrow. I will be busy being the go-for and host to put much thought it a blog – here goes tomorrow blog:

I love Thanksgiving. Well, love is a powerful word. Maybe it would be more accurate to say I like Thanksgiving… or more accurately, would be I enjoy Thanksgiving and all its many traditions.

In high school or right after our school years we enjoyed going hunting on Thanksgiving. We did that a time or two.

Watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade on TV with its high school bands, floats, huge helium filled characters, with Santa at the end officially bringing in the Christmas Season – that is nice to watch with the aroma of turkey cooking in the background.

Ever since I remember there has been on Thanksgiving night the lightening of what used to be the Rich’s Department Store Christmas Tree but now it is the Macy’s Christmas Tree… it unofficially officially opened the Christmas season in Georgia.

Rich’s Department Store on Forsyth Street was across the street from itself. On each side of the street was a Rich’s. If I remember correctly, on the east side was the clothing store and on the west side was the house furnishing section. Between both stores was a four level bridge with an interior and windows. The Christmas Tree was on top of the bridge and the night of the opening, on each level was a choir group or maybe a soloist signing… the lights would go off on one level and another level would light up and a church choir or whatever would sing something inspirationally Christmas from that level, and so on.

The two top department stores in Atlanta were Rich’s and Davison’s. Davison’s was owned by Macy’s – who finally after many years, changed the name to themselves. Then, in time Macy’s bought out Rich’s and their name was changed also. I was surprised the old timers around accepted the name changes – but just don’t mess with the lightening of the Christmas Tree on Thanksgiving night and the Pink Pig (a ride for children at Christmas time at Rich’s – now, Macy’s).

I think a few of our neighbors have beat Santa in the Macy’s Parade to the punch – the exterior of their houses are very well gaudy well lit in decorations.

The National Dog Show on TV after the parade is always nice to watch on Thanksgiving. And speaking of TV – there will be football games.

When I was growing up every year on Thanksgiving there would be a freshman game between UGA and Georgia Tech. The money collected for admission went to charities. For two years when I was in the Boy Scouts I had the experience of ushering that game… which was very interesting to watch the people – a good deal of them drunk.

I know a family that traditionally killed a hog on Thanksgiving. Providing it was cold enough. The family worked almost as a team, each knowing what to do in the right sequence. Once the hog was dead they moved in swiftly removing body parts to preserve and pack. They no longer do that. The head of the family that raised the hog died in his 90s. That is a traditional of the past. With subdivisions to have livestock you would have to get a special permit… then, the gutting of the hog would have all the neighbors fainting… it’s just isn’t work it… and it just does get cold enough on Thanksgiving anymore – global warming, tch tch.

Another tradition each year in Atlanta is the Hosea Williams Thanksgiving Dinner For the Poor and Homeless. More closer to home each year is MUST Ministries food line for the homeless… it is getting to be a social thing for the upper crust to serve food to the poor that day. Hosea died but the tradition Hosea started continues.

Of course some people on Thanksgiving actually give thanks. Can you believe that?

Of course, there are many traditions for the day, but the tradition mostly carried on is pigging out like there is no tomorrow.

Christians and Pumpkin Pie Ingredients.

This is a vague story about the ingredients of pumpkin pie. I am sorry I did not take notes when I listened to it on the car radio, but I got the jest of it and the punch line.

Columbus discovered the Americas while sailing to find new spices. It is unsure where he first landed on his first trip, but on his 2nd trip he landed on what would become Nassau in the Bahamas.

Other ships from England, France, Spain, and other European countries came because this was the land of the spices. One of the spices found was the perfect spice for Pumpkin Pie.

The natives refused to let the Europeans have the spice. The Europeans got very brutal with the natives to take the spice by force, killing many…. After all, not knowing Jesus, they were only savages.

The punch line: It was a near-genocide, almost destroying a group of people just for a spice for pumpkin pie.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! And enjoy your turkey and pumpkin pie.