Holidays evolve over time. Most of those celebrated in the US began as pagan festivals that were co-opted by Christian missionaries. Why? Because, since the dawn of time, people have liked a break from work and a time to party. That's it.

The vast majority don't give a crap "what it all means." This has also probably been true since the dawn of time. If they had to endure some ritual before they got drunk and stuffed their faces, they were happy to do so. Just like at weddings and funerals.

Thanksgiving is a great holiday. It commerates a moment when the pilgrims and the natives got together and celebrated the miracle of survival against all odds. Nobody was planning on killing anyone. All that came later. They worshipped different gods but, in that moment, they celebrated their shared humanity. It's an event worth celebrating.

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