The Secret Religious History of Thanksgiving

The “first Thanksgiving” is often traced back to Plymouth in 1621, but the history of giving thanks for the harvest runs much, much deeper. 

Most people think of Thanksgiving as an entirely secular holiday – free of both the religious connections held by holidays like Christmas and Easter, and the patriotic ties that come with events like the 4th of July and Veteran’s Day.

It’s just a day for feasting, giving thanks, and spending time with loved ones. Nothing else to see here… right?

Well, not exactly. In fact, Thanksgiving has religious roots that run deep – so deep that they’re easy to miss at first glance.

This is the story of how the pagans held the original Thanksgiving, how the Christian Church eventually coopted the holiday as its own, and how the symbolic evidence survives to this day.

Here’s everything you didn’t know about the (real) history of Thanksgiving.

Feasting With the Old Gods

Before the rise of Christianity in the western world, the holiday calendar looked a lot different than it does today. Across Europe, the pre-Christian pagans held all manner of seasonal celebrations – marking the coming of spring, for example, as well as the summer and winter solstices.

But some of the biggest festivals occurred around harvest time.

This was a time to give thanks to the gods for a bountiful harvest and to celebrate the success of another growing season.

There were many different types of harvest festivals, but the biggest three were Lammas, Mabon, and Samhain – each honoring different gods and celebrating different parts of the harvest and the changing of the seasons.  

Christians Capitalize on Pagan Festivals

All holidays adapt and evolve as time passes – it’s only natural.

However, pagan holidays have a remarkable track record of (unwillingly) becoming the basis for Christian celebrations. Again and again throughout history, the Christian Church has coopted pagan festivals for its benefit.

From Christmas to Easter, Christians who sought to supplant the pagan faith with their own mastered the technique of incorporating pagan symbols, traditions, and lore into newly-created Christian holidays – thus making it easier to convert more people to the Church.

As you may have suspected, harvest festivals are no different.

The Rise of Harvest Home

As Christianity overtook the pagan faith as the most popular religion in Europe, the celebrations of the harvest were bound to evolve, too.  

In England and Ireland, what emerged was a three-day festival called Harvest Home that featured a great feast to mark the last of the grain getting safely stored for the winter.

This modified tradition incorporated elements of pagan customs, but also had some heavily Christian influences (the festival began with a special church service, for example).  

It was this Christianized harvest festival that provided the basis for the American holiday of Thanksgiving.

And yet, there is another twist to the story.

Puritans Shun Pagan Roots

Here’s the thing: the Puritans – the first English settlers in North America – weren’t big on celebrating Harvest Home.   

In fact, they rejected this harvest festival entirely (as well as other holidays like Christmas and Easter) due to their pagan roots.

The Puritans recognized that pagan celebrations had been merged with Christian beliefs with the goal of converting people to the faith, and thus they weren’t comfortable participating.

But there were good reasons to celebrate the harvest. Starvation was a real threat for early European settlers in North America, and especially in New England, where the winter climate was fierce and unforgiving.

The First Thanksgiving

The “first Thanksgiving” is widely traced back to Plymouth in 1621, when members of the Wampanoag tribe gathered with the Pilgrims for a harvest feast (which perhaps saved the newcomers from starvation). 

We put that in quotes because this certainly wasn’t the first harvest festival ever recorded, nor the first to take place in North America.

Further, many don’t view the first Thanksgiving as an event worth celebrating at all. For people of Native American ancestry, this event marks the beginning of centuries of turmoil, death, and destruction of their lands at the hands of white settlers.  

Native American Harvest Festivals

Like the pagans of Europe, for thousands of years, Native American tribes had been holding harvest celebrations to thank their gods and spirits for the bounty of the season.

Although harvest deities varied from tribe to tribe, many Native American cultures paid homage to “creator gods” that were believed to have helped the Great Spirit complete the earth in its physical form. One such creator god was the Earth Mother, who some tribes believed was the one to bring corn – a harvest staple – to the Native peoples. 

One major celebration occurred around the Harvest Moon in September, when tribes would gather for a harvest feast and give thanks to the crops that brought life to the community. Festivities would often involve dancing, drumming circles, and different types of games.

Tradition Spreads Far and Wide

European settlers in North America continued this ancient tradition of giving thanks, creating their own harvest holidays to celebrate the season’s bounty (though any praise in their versions would go to the Christian God).

Different regions and religious denominations across the U.S. would develop unique versions of this seasonal celebration. However, it wasn’t until the late 19th century that the country rallied around a unified national holiday that was officially named “Thanksgiving.”

But even in this modern version of the ancient harvest celebration – many centuries removed from its pre-Christian roots – we can still see prominent symbols from other religions.

Thanksgiving Religious Symbolism

The Cornucopia is also referred to as the “horn of plenty.”

1) Cornucopia

Among the images closely associated with Thanksgiving is the Cornucopia – a horn-shaped basket that is typically depicted overflowing with foods of the fall harvest like squash, corn, and apples.

Far from a Thanksgiving creation, the Cornucopia (also referred to as the “horn of plenty”) actually traces its roots back to ancient Greek mythology.

According to myth, the she-goat Amalthea nursed a baby Zeus in a cave on the island of Crete. One day, Zeus accidentally broke off her horn. As a sign of gratitude, Zeus made sure the horn was always full of whatever goods the owner desired.

The Cornucopia later became a sacred symbol of the harvest in Celtic pagan tradition.

And today, this symbol of plenty lives on as part of the Thanksgiving holiday – in artwork, decorations, and centerpieces.

2) Turkey

It would be hard to find a more ubiquitous symbol of modern Thanksgiving than the turkey, which studies show is eaten by 90% of American households on Thanksgiving. 

But did you know its origin at the Thanksgiving dinner table likely stems from Native American tradition?

Many tribes view the turkey as a symbol of fertility and abundance. Turkey is a totem animal, and turkey feathers also carry special importance and are used in certain Native American rituals. 

Although experts disagree on whether the “first Thanksgiving” included turkey, that this large bird has become so prominently featured at Thanksgiving tables is no accident.

3) Football

Football on Thanksgiving is also a deeply rooted tradition.

And some experts suggest there’s an ancient explanation for that. 

In addition to large feasts, Celtic pagan harvest festivals often featured some sort of sporting event or athletic competition. 

One such festival was the Irish celebration of Lughnasadh, during which people would compete in events like wrestling and archery. 

In that sense, football on Thanksgiving is the continuation of a centuries-old harvest festival tradition. 

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Dr. Fulcher Jr started writing and publishing books in 1973. Since then, he has written many books on various religious topics. Listed in this post are several books that Dr. Fulcher has written over the years that have now been updated with even more information, and some updated to hard cover books and a brand-new addition. All of these books can be found on Amazon.

**NEW** Liar Liar Liar Amazon.com: Liar Liar Liar eBook : Fulcher, E C: Kindle Store.

UPDATED BOOKS: The Justification Covenant Amazon.com: The Justification Covenant eBook : Fulcher Jr, Dr E C: Kindle Store, The Origin of Steeples Amazon.com: The Origin of Steeples eBook : Fulcher Jr, Dr E C: Kindle Store, The Revealing of Christ (in a parable) Amazon.com: The Revealing of Christ (In a Parable) eBook : Fulcher Jr, Dr E C: Kindle Store , The Truth About St. Valentine’s Day Amazon.com: The Truth about St. Valentine’s Day eBook : Fulcher Jr, Dr E C: Kindle Store, What About the Cross Amazon.com: What about the Cross? eBook : Fulcher Jr, Dr E C: Kindle Store , What is the Holy Ghost Amazon.com: What is the Holy Ghost? eBook : Fulcher Jr, Dr E C: Kindle Store .

UPDATED BOOKS NOW IN HARDBACK: Not Forsaking Amazon.com: Not Forsaking eBook : Fulcher Jr, Dr E C: Kindle Store , The Truth About Communion and Foot Washing The Truth about Communion and Foot Washing: Fulcher Jr, Dr E C: 9798866778539: Amazon.com: Books, The Truth About Water Baptism Amazon.com: The Truth about Water Baptism eBook : Fulcher Jr, Dr E C: Kindle Store, Woman Preachers Amazon.com: Women Preachers eBook : Fulcher Jr, Dr E C: Kindle Store.

All of these can be found on AMAZON by searching the book title or by Dr. E C Fulcher Jr.

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For more information, please contact us at International-Shortwave Club – International Christian Temple Church (ictchurch.org)

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For more information, please contact us at International-Shortwave Club – International Christian Temple Church (ictchurch.org)

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For more information, please visit our website at Shortwave Information of Interest – International Christian Temple Church (ictchurch.org)

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Well for all of you who have ever had a question, here is a book that is as thorough as thorough can be. It will leave you with so much information that you will be able to make an informed decision on the topic and be able to speak factual to anyone in any situation.

The Truth About Christmas, the best gift you could ever give!!

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As modern times progress and technology expands, mankind has moved away from the “old-school” method of getting news and listening to music.

Most people use their hand-held smart phones to communicate, get news, listen to music, read, apply for jobs and watch T.V. The dinosaur days of sitting in front of the television, anticipating your favorite show to premiere, or waiting by the radio to hear you favorite musicians’ new song are long gone — So, can you image how useless people think shortwave radios are?

Many people laugh at the thought of turning the knobs on a shortwave radio in today’s time, but individuals with true knowledge, know that if and when the world crashes, shortwave radio will be one of the only modes of communication available.

Dr. E. C. Fulcher Jr. began broadcasting the truth on shortwave radio in 1979 — citing that it was the cheapest way to get his message to the world.

“It was the most inexpensive way to broadcast over long distances. I could cover several countries for the amount of money that I could have only covered, maybe 1 or 2 states here in America,” Fulcher explained.

Dr. Fulcher began utilizing shortwave radio, about 60 years after shortwave radio became popular.

At the beginning of radio history, the radio spectrum was divided into three radio waves, the long (LW), the medium (MW), and the short wave (SW) band, based on their wavelengths.

According to cruchreviews.com, shortwaves, as technology, was initially invented to aid long-distance communication for people at sea and has proved itself simple and cheap to operate.

While the technology has been around for a long time, it wasn’t until 1920 when shortwave radio began to become popular just before the First World War.

The name shortwave radio came about because the wavelengths in this band are shorter than 1500 kHz, marking the upper limit of the medium frequency band. Shortwave is utilized for international radio stations and radio amateurs, but mainly used for aviation, marine, diplomatic, and emergency purposes, cruchreviews.com noted.

Shortwave radio is a radio broadcast like the common AM and FM, however private companies own AM and FM radio stations, and the government owns and operates most shortwave radio stations.

Additionally, shortwave radios broadcast on different frequencies, allowing transmissions to travel around the world. This means you can pick up or listen to broadcasts from virtually anywhere, thanks to their worldwide listeners.

Shortwave stations are the most suitable method to connect with marginalized regions with poor phone service. Despite reaching distant areas, the transparency of the stations can sometimes be challenging due to the susceptibility to the sun’s electrical interference. For this reason, most stations usually request their shortwave listeners to send them reception reports to identify how the shortwave broadcasts are being received in different regions, as Dr. Fulcher request from his listeners.

Aside from international communication, shortwave radios are also ideal for diplomatic communication and over-the-horizon radar. Shortwave enthusiasts also use these devices as a hobby, crunchreviews.com confirmed.

Truth seeker, Eric Ruark started listening to shortwave radio sometime around 1980 — one year after Dr. Fulcher started broadcasting on shortwave.

“I was introduced to shortwave radio by Dr. Gene Scott. I was living in Connecticut at the time. Dr. Scott owned a TV station in Hartford, Channel 21 or 18 UHF, I think. There was a governmental move to strip the station from him, so he began to talk about shortwave,” Ruark said.

Ruark started listening to Dr. Fulcher because he had the half hour before Dr. Scott came on.

After being astounded by both preachers, Ruark acted out his vision to bicycle across the country and stop at Truth House 1 and Scott’s Cathedral to give thanks for having survived my pancreatic illnesses. 

“And the rest is history,” Ruark said.

Just about all the ministers of today are on shortwave radio because of Dr. Fulcher.

“I was the first minister on shortwave radio in America. Every year, K USW shortwave out of Utah gave me an anniversary award for being the first minister,” Fulcher said. “For six months, my show was ranked number on in Monitoring Times magazine.”

Dr. Fulcher continues to broadcast live on the following Worldwide Christian Radio (WWCR) frequencies:

• Listen Sunday on 9.350 (Transmitters 2)
  • 4pm EDT; 3pm CDT; 2pm MDT; 1pm PDT; 2000 UT.
• Listen Monday – Friday on 5.890 (Transmitter 4)
  • 10pm EDT; 9pm CDT; 8pm MDT; 7pm PDT; 0200 UT
• Listen Saturday on 4.840 (Transmitter  3)
  • 9pm EST; 8pm CST; 7pm MST; 6pm PST; 0200 UT 

When all other technology fails, shortwave will still be standing, so Dr. Fulcher can preach the truth to all the world as commanded by God.

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When most people think about Christmas, they think gifts, lights, and festivities. When true Christians think about Christmas, they think of paganism, going against God’s Word, and the entire chapter of Jeramiah 10.

With Christmas being such a popular holiday, so much so that people who don’t even believe in Jesus celebrate it, it’s hard for people to understand when they learn that Truth Houses don’t indulge.

Now, it’s not difficult to see that Truth House warriors come from many different walks of life. Some of which never celebrated Christmas in their life. You have some who celebrated Christmas at a young age but stopped before adulthood to be aligned with God’s Word. Then, there are others who were over 18 and had participated in the pagan ritual their entire life, who eventually learned the truth and repented.

Making a stand against Christmas and committing to staying away from the heathen holiday isn’t always easy. Some have to make a stand against Christmas at their job, school, with their family, and even at the dang grocery store.

While it’s true that everyone has their own experience when it comes to the celebration of Christmas and how they approach it, for those that attend Truth House Ministries, it’s so much more than that. It’s a revelation of Truth that must be acted upon.

Truth House, Lydia Dominguez, has never celebrated Christmas in anyway. Being made aware of the truth as an adolescent gave Dominguez a spiritual advantage over her peers but it didn’t make her exempt from persecution for standing on the truth. Dominguez attended private school and was homeschooled until the 5^th grade, then she entered public school. She had already got a taste of making a stand against pagan holidays when she attended private school—debating other students, but it elevated once she began public school.

“When I started public school in the 5th grade, I was alone without any siblings. That in itself was a culture shock. I was very timid and shy at first knowing I did not have anyone else in the school to back me up or lean on,” Dominguez explained. “It was always a struggle to get students and faculty to understand that I would not participate in school activities centered around Christmas. Even though my parents wrote notes every year letting the school know I would not be participating in Christmas activities, I still often had to explain to the teachers why I was not going to do an assignment.”

Growing up in Truth House and never celebrating Christmas was a little easier for Kim Shiner, since she had attended public school her entire life.

“I kind of had it easy being the middle child. My parents set the school straight when me and my sisters attended. My dad told all our teachers and faculty that his kids will not be participating in any religious holiday activities,” Shiner said. “Whenever the class had a party of some sort or activities dealing with the heathen holidays, my mom would always pick us up early from school.”

Both Dominguez and Shiner had their separate experiences and challenges when they choose to stand on Jesus’ side while in school, but for Dominguez, she says she went numb to facing her peers and faculty when displaying her unwavering commitment to God’s word. Shockingly, teachers gave her a harder time about her stand on Christmas than her school members did.

“The teachers were the worst because the assignments they would hand out around that time would have something to do with the lies of the story of Santa Clause, but they would try to pass it off as not being Christmas related.  This happened a lot. Often, they tried to convince me that it was not about Christmas, and I could just ignore the references,” Dominguez said. “That never went very far with me, as I was adamant.”

Since Shiner was the middle child, she says that not celebrating Christmas wasn’t much of battle, considering she had siblings and other church members, who stood with her.

When Christmas festivities were commencing at school, Dominguez would go into a separate room or the library, and Shiner was picked by one of her parents.

Now, truth-seeker, Tyler Tillman, who attended public school is entire life says he didn’t experience any scrutiny for not celebrating Christmas.

“I don’t think they even cared until the holiday arrived,” Tillman said.

The only time students or staff asked him why he didn’t celebrate Christmas was when the holiday came around, but even then, it wasn’t unbearable for Tillman.

“My entire school career was neither hindered nor furthered by not celebrating Christmas,” he explained.

Like Dominguez, Naomi Tamez says her teachers made it harder for to practice her religious beliefs than the students.

“When I was younger, public school was difficult because teachers made it harder for me to believe what I believed,” Tamez said. “The kids weren’t mean, just curious.”

Since Tamez grew up in Truth House and never celebrated Christmas, she didn’t have an alternate lifestyle to compare hers to, so going to school with such different religious beliefs didn’t make a difference.

“I didn’t know any difference because I had always known the truth about the holiday. I knew people knew I was different, even though I didn’t feel that different. I had no idea, and it was not a big deal to me,” Tamez said.

Of course, Tamez’s curious peers and teachers would ask questions about her stand against Christmas, and she would tell them the truth.

“I gave them my truth and I would always be very giving of information. I never tried to argue or make them believe. This is my life, not just choosing to be different. This is genuinely me. I would just give them the truth. Students were more receptive to the truth unlike the staff that were closed off and not interested in what I had to say,” she added.

God-lover Dave Macon didn’t grow up in Truth House and didn’t meet Pastor Dr. E.C Fulcher Jr. until he was an adult, but he knew Christmas was a lie since a child.

Coming from a German family, Macon says Christmas is a major celebration in that culture.

“In Germany, Christmas is huge. The German immigrants are the reason that the tree decorations were brought over to the new world,” Macon said.

Though Macon wasn’t taught the truth as a child, he often wondered what trees had to do with Jesus being that Jesus lived in the desert.

“I wondered what rabbits had to do with Jesus’ resurrection,” he added.

Macon had attended public school his entire life and seen Jewish children make a stand against Christmas, so it wasn’t a shock when Macon saw a student not participating in Christmas festivities in middle school.

“I understood, I just thought it was unusual,” Macon said.

According to Macon, he was always in trouble with his parents, so he read a lot and studied mythologies from around the world.   

“I pieced together how the modern incarnation of Christmas comes from Norse Mythos. Santa Claus is Thor,” he confirmed.

Although he made his parents aware of the falsities about Christmas, they discounted his beliefs which only alienated him a little bit more.

“I looked into other religions that didn’t celebrate Christmas, including the Jehovah’s Witnesses,” Macon said.

Macon had no idea that the student he knew in middle school, who stood against Christmas and the research he had done of Christmas would all collide when he began attending Truth House Ministries Church.

Once there, he noticed Chris Moffet, the same middle schooler he knew in band class, who wouldn’t celebrate Christmas years prior.

Moffet, who never celebrated Christmas, says he didn’t remember Macon but his unwavering dedication to the word would be something that solidified Macon’s belief in the predestination of his own life. 

From what Moffet remembers, he didn’t have any issues with students regarding his religious beliefs—it was more the faculty that weren’t accepting.

“Instead of them being understanding of my religious beliefs and working around it, they would just lower my grade by one letter because I would not participate in their holiday activities,” Moffet said.

It seems like children are more accepting and open to understanding the Truth about Christmas than adults. As Truth Houses have mentioned above, it wasn’t their peers who gave them difficulties in school. It was the grown adults—who you’d think would have a more logical, mature way of thinking.

It’s sad that adults are content with believing a lie and teaching it to children, who they’re supposed to be raising to be stand-up, truthful men and women. Sad!

As stated previously, everyone approaches the Christmas holiday differently, the fact remains that God is about truth and Truth Houses stand on God’s side—staying far away from that which doesn’t please Him.

The Truth About Christmas – Kindle edition by Fulcher Jr, Dr E C. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

-Charlene Mayo

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