A few November thoughts.

November proudly shows itself on the calender today, bringing with it thoughts of colder, and invariably wetter, weather. It's a time for walking through the forest, places like Delamere Forest in Cheshire, a corner of which is pictured above. a time for scuffing through pile of autumn leaves, red, gold and brown, and of walks in the early morning mists. A time for reflection as the year continues to ready itself for a period of rest whilst it prepares for the renewal that Spring will bring with it in a few months time.


But there are many other thoughts which spring to mind with the onset of this month, not least of all are the thoughts about Thanksgiving Day in the USA, with wonderful meals and a time for families to gather together, often with family members travelling hundreds of miles to attend the annual gathering.


Having shared in Thanksgiving Day myself a few years back, when visiting with family in Virginia, I have often thought that it is a tradition that we would do well to emulate here in the UK. One good reason is that it's good to have real family get-togethers, sharing what would be regarded in the UK as a 'Christmas Meal', exchanging Thanksgiving gifts, and enjoying a Public Holiday, but it goes beyond that as well.


If you put all of this effort into celebrating Thanksgiving, then it leaves you free to celebrate Christmas for the right reason rather than using it as an excuse to have too much to eat and drink. So much of the Christmas celebration is pagan in origin, and so little reflects the real reason for the celebration, which is the opportunity to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world.


If we celebrated Thanksgiving Day then it would be a day for all to celebrate, regardless of their faith or lack of it. Christmas could then be celebrated by those of the Christian Faith who want to celebrate the Festival with reverence, reflection and hope.