In this season of Thanksgiving - in USA

[prasad1]

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An american friend asked me whether we have a similar festival, where we thank the nature, family and friends for all the bounty we got?
I think pongal comes closest to Thanksgiving.
I told him all all our festivals are about having a feast, and we share with family and friends. But really it is not.

Thanksgiving is more about Gratitude than the feast.

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.” ― Melody Beattie

Having been in this site for sometimes I feel that majority in this site do not feel any gratitude towards anyone. Everybody is fair game to bring down. People do not leave God, human, animal and every institution.

Psych Basics | Psychology Today : thankfulness

The Benefits of Gratitude
Gratitude is an emotion expressing appreciation for what one has—as opposed to, say, a consumer-oriented emphasis on what one wants or needs—and is currently receiving a great deal of attention as a facet of positive psychology. Gratitude is what gets poured into the glass to make it half full. Studies show that gratitude not only can be deliberately cultivated but can increase levels of well-being and happiness among those who do cultivate it. In addition, grateful thinking—and especially expression of it to others—is associated with increased levels of energy, optimism, and empathy.

 

[biswa]

How come Indians dont usually say "Thank You"? At least when using an Indian language?

 

[Raji Ram]

Dear friends,

The sense of gratitude is something we learn form our parents and our environment. There is no need to say 'Thank you' to

near and dear ones for each and everything. Of course there are words meaning 'Thank you' in all Indian languages. BTW,

have you not heard people saying 'nandri' in Tamil Nadu or 'धन्यवाद' in the North? But usually people say only in English!

Yesterday, the auto driver to whom I asked whether his 'meter' works said a reluctant 'yes' and when I gave Rs. 35 for a

meter charge of Rs. 27+ he received it with a smile and told 'thanks maa'! So, people DO thank even for small mercies!

In tambram culture, sisters receive gifts from brothers for Pongal and sisters pray for the good health of the brother keeping

'kaNup pidi' on the next day. Others in Tamil Nadu make it a point to visit the relatives and friends on 'kANum Pongal' day.

We buy gifts for our parents on their birthdays to show our gratitude. Prayers in temples for the welfare of our near and dear

ones is also in our culture. So we need not feel that the West has more sense of gratitude than Indians!

 

[biswa]

Thank you Mrs Raji Ram and Mr Prasad!

 

[kunjuppu]

prasad,

pongal is our tamil thanksgiving day along with kanum pongal. unfortunately, this is not observed on a large scale by brahmins. i dont know why.

 

[kk4646]

Thank God.. There is NO glorification of American Thanks giving day as done in last year..

TVK

 

[prasad1]

Thank God.. There is NO glorification of American Thanks giving day as done in last year..

TVK

I get it that you hate America, I am sure you have your reasons (so does the Talibans), but are you forgetting Gratitude. Do you think you owe some gratitude to someone?

 

[prasad1]

Dear friends,

The sense of gratitude is something we learn form our parents and our environment. So we need not feel that the West has more sense of gratitude than Indians!

Thank for the post.
My post was more pointed to the members of this site and was not directed at all Indians, so please read my post again.
In this site some of the members are ready to find fault with everyone, and everything. They think they are so superior to others that they do not owe any gratitude to anyone, may it be Gandhi, MS or any one else.

 

[sangom]

In this Forum itself I think Shri Nara had referred to this thanksgiving day of US and explained that it was the (rather hypocritical) gesture by the european invaders towards the millions of original native americans whom they had mercilessly exterminated in sly ways. If this is true, this latest eulogization of the Thanksgiving day is yet another instance of twisting the truth.

If my reference to Shri Nara is wrong, I request his pardon.

 

[Raji Ram]

Dear Prasad Sir,

The upbringing plays the main role in developing the sense of gratitude. In Indian culture, we have a few celebrations to

remind us to thank our near and dear ones. 'Thanks giving' is the occasion in the West and it is good to celebrate it there! :thumb:

P.S: I hope tambrams settled there do not chase the turkey! Just kidding!

 

[kk4646]

I get it that you hate America, I am sure you have your reasons (so does the Talibans), but are you forgetting Gratitude. Do you think you owe some gratitude to someone?

Gratitude is not the sole property of America.. We indians in India are not inferior or to learn such things from others..


TVK

 

[Raji Ram]

To dear friends who celebrate 'Thanksgiving'!

Source: Printable Thanksgiving Cards

 

[auh]

My post was more pointed to the members of this site and was not directed at all Indians, so please read my post again.
In this site some of the members are ready to find fault with everyone, and everything. They think they are so superior to others that they do not owe any gratitude to anyone, may it be Gandhi, MS or any one else.

Since you said this, I googled and found that "thanksgiving" originated as a sort of prayer on completion of a task, as in the completion of the voyage to the US (the new world then) and reaping a harvest.

So nothing new!

But perhaps the doubt was in your mind since you had opined to your friend that

all our festivals are about having a feast, and we share with family and friends.

I don't know why you said so but it seems clear that you don't believe that our festivals are an expression of gratitude. Then what are they?

 

[amala]

Gratitude is something that must come from within, it can't ever be forced to be expressed. Some people have more of it and others not so much. Some people express it openly and others more subtly.

Having said that I grew up being taught that Pongal/Sankranti is our Thanksgiving. It is more a Harvest Festival i suppose because society long back was agrarian so we give thanks to the sun for good crops etc. What i find remarkable is that for many many of us, if not most of us, Pongal is not a public holiday and still we make time to make Sakkarai pongal, pray etc. Its much easier to observe Thanksgiving in America because it is a national holiday, whereas we do it despite Pongal etc not being one a holiday, at least where I'm from.

 

[Raji Ram]

I like this cartoon!

Source: 11 Surprising Thanksgiving Facts

 

[prasad1]

Gratitude is not the sole property of America.. We indians in India are not inferior or to learn such things from others..


TVK

Can I ask you, why do you have this inferiority complex? Just because someone has an admirable quality should not make you defensive. It is good to see greatness in others (not necessarily yourself alone). Just because some are more successful than you should not make you jealous. Appreciate other cultures too (that is the quality of cultured person).

 

[Raji Ram]

..... Having said that I grew up being taught that Pongal/Sankranti is our Thanksgiving. It is more a Harvest Festival i suppose because society long back was agrarian so we give thanks to the sun for good crops etc. .....

Yes Amala! In Kerala 'Onam' is the harvest festival when they make the 'puththari pAyasam' (pAyasam made with new rice)

and celebrate with new dress, colorful flower / rangoli 'kOlams'

and 'Onam sadhya' (Onam feast)

Picture courtesy: Google images

 

[prasad1]

Since you said this, I googled and found that "thanksgiving" originated as a sort of prayer on completion of a task, as in the completion of the voyage to the US (the new world then) and reaping a harvest.

So nothing new!

But perhaps the doubt was in your mind since you had opined to your friend that

I don't know why you said so but it seems clear that you don't believe that our festivals are an expression of gratitude. Then what are they?

We celebrate all festivals with feast. Most have some religious significance and are celebrated by a religious groups. Muslims will say that ID is kind of thanksgiving.

As far as I know (I admit I know a little) OOnam is the only non-religious festival in India. Even in that it is not about gratitude.
Being scared of some God or religion is not gratitude, that is out of feat and not freewill.

Having been on this site for this long, I understand that this limited group of TB is grouchy, some times obnoxious, with a chip on the shoulder. Generally Indians are humble people, we appreciate the world we inherited from our forefathers. I do not see that in this forum.

 

[auh]

We celebrate all festivals with feast.

A festival has to be celebrated with feast, but not for it...

Most have some religious significance and are celebrated by a religious groups. Muslims will say that ID is kind of thanksgiving.

As far as I know (I admit I know a little) OOnam is the only non-religious festival in India. Even in that it is not about gratitude.
Being scared of some God or religion is not gratitude, that is out of feat and not freewill.

The thanksgiving, I observe is to the "eternal father" and not to a fellow human.

In a sense, Vishu kani, Adi perukku, Pongal, Deepavali, Karthigai etc are all thanksgiving festivals. The religious tag does not make it any less worthy or us Indians any less grateful.

Having been on this site for this long, I understand that this limited group of TB is grouchy, some times obnoxious, with a chip on the shoulder. Generally Indians are humble people, we appreciate the world we inherited from our forefathers. I do not see that in this forum.

If pointing out apparent contradictions and dissimilar comparisions equates one to having ("lays") chip on the shoulder, then I would prefer it to be of the potato type, for me. Without cheese.

 

[kk4646]

Can I ask you, why do you have this inferiority complex? Just because someone has an admirable quality should not make you defensive. It is good to see greatness in others (not necessarily yourself alone). Just because some are more successful than you should not make you jealous. Appreciate other cultures too (that is the quality of cultured person).

A cultured person should not go overboard to appreciate the other one ...forgetting the greatness of his own culture..

TVK

 

[Nara]

. If this is true, this latest eulogization of the Thanksgiving day is yet another instance of twisting the truth.

dear sangom, why can't you leave well enough alone? Do you have to look for the truth and make everybody upset? As it is we are marked as arrogant know-it-all types, on the ready to find fault with everyone, and everything including God, Gandhi, MS, Thyagaraja or any one else. Now you want to burst the beautiful myth about American Thanksgiving.

Well, now that you have raised this question let me share with you an article I read a long time ago, one that I was able to google and get hold of.

Richard Greener: The True Story Of Thanksgiving

These days Thanksgiving is the time for most American family and friends to get together, drink beer, eat turkey, watch American football on TV and probably get into arguments with long not seen relatives.

Some religious people may pray before their Thanksgiving dinner, but in the most part, Thanksgiving is not a religious holiday.

 

[kunjuppu]

thanksgiving time - not a good time to be born a turkey in the usa or canada

 

[sangom]

dear sangom, why can't you leave well enough alone? Do you have to look for the truth and make everybody upset? As it is we are marked as arrogant know-it-all types, on the ready to find fault with everyone, and everything including God, Gandhi, MS, Thyagaraja or any one else. Now you want to burst the beautiful myth about American Thanksgiving.

Well, now that you have raised this question let me share with you an article I read a long time ago, one that I was able to google and get hold of.

Richard Greener: The True Story Of Thanksgiving

These days Thanksgiving is the time for most American family and friends to get together, drink beer, eat turkey, watch American football on TV and probably get into arguments with long not seen relatives.

Some religious people may pray before their Thanksgiving dinner, but in the most part, Thanksgiving is not a religious holiday.

Well, Nara, I could not gauge the extent of maayaa overlaying the nice concept of thanksgiving day which has made our resident India basher to cock a snook at all Indians for not having any sense of gratitude! I shall keep your advice for my future guidance please.

 

[prasad1]

Wow, Is it not a stretch to assume oneself to represent all INDIANS. My observation "if you can read" was clearly pointed at some TBs in this site. You are a minority of 1 in this TB site. If someone disagrees with your position they are not "resident Indian Basher". Please look down from your lofty perch as you are standing on a crumbling pedestal.

 

[auh]

thanksgiving time - not a good time to be born a turkey in the usa or canada

Ha ha... this really made me laugh out loud...