Thanksgiving – a piece of America that Ireland should embrace

Trust Bilgegate to ruin a perfectly good celebration.The 1621 Plymouth feast and thanksgiving was prompted by a good harvest.In later years, the tradition was continued by civil leaders such as Governor Bradford who planned a thanksgiving celebration and fast in 1623.While initially, the Plymouth colony did not have enough food to feed half of the 102 colonists, the Wampanoag Native Americans helped the Pilgrims by providing seeds and teaching them to fish.The practice of holding an annual harvest festival like this did not become a regular affair in New England until the late 1660s.Can't find where the Brit's rode to the rescue at all.Maybe the Brits sent food parcels by throwing them into the sea or something.

Well said Captain! John: ~ Thanks, but no thanks-giving. Keep it to yourself, like a good chap! Try and remember you are giving thanks for Britain having saved early settlers skins! How do you imagine Obama would react to being asked to establish "Thank Great Britain Day"! No, we are already infected by 'Fathers Day' and 'Mothering Sunday' from across the pond, that's quite enough, thank you!

1st rule of living in another culture. Never say the host culture should adopt your customs. Keep your heritage by all means and invite neighbours to share it but remember it isn't something you should impose. In Irish culture hospitality is very important and always has been since the earliest days of the Brehon system bit relies on hospitality being offered and received with courtesy and no guest would lecture their host on what customs should be observed.

I disagree. Thanksgiving is a distinctly American holiday which is uniquely rooted in the country's history. It does not make sense to export it to other countries. Besides, Ireland and other European countries have plenty of religious holidays throughout the year which are not days off in the US.

Is this guy for real? Our Thanksgiving commemorates the English religious bigots known as the Puritans, people who a couple of decades after they settled here were busy massacring Irish Catholics? Commemorate these vermin? Are you crazy, Fay? Looks like you've fried your brains with the turkey.

Hope you will be deep frying that turkey in peanut oil, the only way to assure juicy, succulent tasty turkey every time.