Ancestor’s Day

A church in New England has an interesting annual celebration where they dress up like pioneers, Puritans, Pilgrims, or Quakers. They put on costumes appropriate to the particular ancestors from whom they claim their decent. They also relive the faith of their deceased relatives, re-enact their ideals, and recall their deeds. This day is appropriately called “Ancestor’s Day.”

An ancestor’s remembrance day is celebrated by many nationalities at different times of the year. Korea has Hanshik, and Japan celebrates Ohigan in March. Haitians celebrate Ancestor’s Day on the second of January. The Samhain celebration has survived several guises in Ireland and Scotland as a festival to the dead. Since Christianization, the Samhain festival became All Hallow’s Day on November 1st, which was renamed All Soul’s Day. In the U.S., Memorial Day is celebrated. Originally called Decoration Day, Memorial Day is a time to remember our ancestors, family members, and other loved ones who have given the ultimate sacrifice in defense of their country.

Today we set aside some time to reflect and give thanks for the many blessings we have in our lives. Think about how many rights and privileges you now enjoy because of the sacrifices made by your parents and ancestors. Sure, you had to work hard to get to where you are today, but most likely you did it in an environment that allowed you to grow, and within a government that allowed certain freedoms.

Our parents are our greatest benefactors. Our birth was a time for great thanksgiving in their lives. Each celebration of your birthday means that your parents and ancestors are much more secure of their bloodline continuing through the various twists and turns it has taken. Each new year offers a renewed opportunity to celebrate those individuals who helped make our existence possible. They brought us into this life, nurtured, taught, and inspired us to become our best.

To discover the blood of noble men and women coursing through one’s veins, can help one feel a greater sense of purpose in life. The ancient residents of Sparta believed that they had descended from Hercules. The consciousness of their inherited greatness was the impetus that spurred them on to great accomplishments.

An important undertaking should be to tie the hearts of your children to your ancestors by studying your genealogy and tracing your lineage back as far as possible. We can trace our ancestors many centuries back to England, France, and Spain. Some of our ancestors were Native Americans, while others crossed the plains as pioneers. Some lived in poverty, while others were part of French royalty.

Many of you can trace your ancestors back many generations, and keep them alive through stories, celebrations, and family gatherings. You may have the blood of great and noble individuals who have lived their lives in order for you to have the privileges you now enjoy. However, none of this matters unless you are able to break the bonds of time and come to a knowledge of these people and the lives they led; and then share what you know with your children.

Make a record of their accomplishments. Write in your journal a list of the qualities that your parents and ancestors possessed. Thomas Carlyle said that the history of the world is written in the biography of its great men. The history of your family is written in the biography of your great ancestors and the legacy they left behind.

It is interesting that this devotion to our parents and ancestors can be mutually beneficial, because when we focus this loving, reverent attention on them, the attitude created in us can transform us into the likeness of the thing we love. The qualities and character traits that we admire in our ancestors can become ours. In fact, one of the best ways we can honor our dead is to keep alive their best qualities through our attitude, thought, and behavior.

Showing gratitude for our progenitors on this day allows us to honor our ancestors and magnify their best qualities in our minds and spirits. A grateful heart is an expression of greatness. This Thanksgiving, remember your parents, and their parents’ parents, and celebrate the rivers of blood, sweat, and tears that have come together to make us kindred.

(Rik is a business instructor at NMC and Janel is the owner of Positively Outrageous Results. They can be contacted at: biz_results@yahoo.com)