In the USA, since 1863, we have celebrated Thanksgiving Day on the last Thursday of November.
Here is a little bit of background information about this national holiday:
POTUS George Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation – Thursday, Nov 26, 1789 proclaimed a day of “public thanksgiving and prayer”. (* Source: The Heritage Foundation)
POTUS Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a National Day of “Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens”, to be celebrated on the last Thursday in November, even though, at the time, the country was engaged in the Civil War. (** Source: National Archives)
Now to get the highlight of this post. The cornucopia. I love the cornucopia.
A cornucopia, also called “horn of plenty”, is a symbol of a harvest – usually pictured as goat’s horn overflowing with various fruits like apples, grapes, oranges, etc.; corn on the cob; pumpkin; and some even have flowers.
In America, the cornucopia is a symbol included in our celebration of Thanksgiving Day. People don’t usually like to break with familiar customs and traditions that have been accepted and practiced for years. But if I could, I would champion a change to the traditional filling of the cornucopia. My horn of plenty would reflect a harvest that included exotic or tropical fruits. Pomegranates, mangoes, kiwis, and pineapples are at the top of my list.
As for vegetables? Haven’t really given them much thought. Maybe some zucchini and a bunch of collard greens, kale or Swiss chard!
What about you? Ever give any thought to refilling a cornucopia? What fruits and/or veggies and/or flowers would go into your horn of plenty? Don’t you think it makes an excellent gift? A customized cornucopia for a friend or family member. A horn of plenty loaded with fresh fruits and veggies that they like!
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◊ If your country does not celebrate a Thanksgiving Day, I’m sure there is a similar holiday where you take time to give thanks and show appreciation for the life you live. If you don’t use the cornucopia, do you have a symbol that represents the harvest of bountiful blessings of planet earth?
Link of Interest:
Cornucopia – American Thanksgiving
Waving flag image credit: glitter-graphics.com
* * Content first published at
Literacy Base on April 9, 2017.
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