Reporting live from the States: it’s almost Thanksgiving! In which Emily will partake of sacred rituals such as shaking gelatinized cranberry sauce out of a can.
So how does American Thanksgiving factor into the Weekly Wheel celebration of seasonal change? In one sense, it doesn’t - because our Thanksgiving is a hot mess. Shady AF founding myths, dates shuffled around by presidents, Black Friday consumerism… there’s not a whole lot to recommend it, aside from the can-shaped cranberry sauce.
That said, American Thanksgiving is connected to the tradition of a seasonal harvest festival. The “wheel of the year” is a concept Monica and I borrowed from British neo-pagans, who also celebrate solstices, equinoxes, and the points in between. Turns out the idea that any one culture celebrated all eight of those days is quite modern. But you know what humans get really excited about? Food. Most cultures have ceremonies to mark the end of their regional harvest.
As presidents moved the date of American Thanksgiving around, it became uncoupled from any actual harvesting - thanks FDR! But you can still see its ancestry in some Christian observances. Fun fact: the date of the Church of England’s harvest festival is still determined by the full moon closest to autumn equinox, so equinox does make a guest appearance! We know you subscribed for the fun facts.
Monica is going to follow up with even more fun facts - plus a cranberry-related recipe that does not come from a can?? - in Thanksgiving, Part 2. She made this delectable loaf the first time I visited her home - the first of many wonderful feasts!
Sound off in the comments: cranberry sauce #TeamCan or #TeamHomemade? Happy feasting, fellow Americans!