Here in the United States of America, on the fourth Thursday of November each year, we as a nation and as individual families celebrate Thanksgiving. For most Americans, we cook our best meals and have a huge meal with turkey, dressing, green bean casserole, and pumpkin pie. Families get together, we eat until we are full, we play games and watch football, but why? Have we lost the true meaning of the creation of our nation? We have our traditions, but somehow we have lost the important sense of a nation's treacherous beginning. Like various other cultures that celebrate giving thanks, Jews celebrate Passover with a rich family meal flooded with tradition and meaning. They haven't forgotten why they're celebrating. The hardships they endured and the pivotal point in transforming their freedom into a better life are vividly remembered each year at Passover and passed down from generation to generation. If we reintegrate the true story of Thanksgiving into our celebrations, we should be able to secure change in ourselves and our families to come together and become a stronger nation. The not-so-humble beginnings of a nation began with a voyage of the Mayflower in September 1620. It carried 102 pilgrims and limited supplies to settle the new lands and found colonies. Landing at the tip of Cape Cod in November where they faced one of the harshest winters in the new world. By the end of March, forty-five immigrants had died from disease, lack of food or unsanitary housing. (Wikipedia) It was a brutal start losing half the population in less than 5 months. The future seemed bleak until help from the Wampanoag Indians. The leader saw a mutual benefit in helping the newcomers survive. Middle of paper says we are grateful for what happened to them, and we should be grateful too. We should just be grateful to be together. I think that's what they mean by "Thanksgiving", Charlie Brown. (IMDb) Finding focus and the true reason for Thanksgiving and other holiday celebrations can not only make them enjoyable, but also meaningful and magical. Works Cited IMDb. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving - quotes. th web page. March 23, 2014. .Ryan, Matt. Top 5 Scenes from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation [VIDEO]. December 7, 2013. video. March 22, 2014. .Wikipedia. List of Mayflower passengers who died during the winter of 1620-1621. th web page. March 23 2014. .