The Dark Truth Behind Thanksgiving: Why Thanksgiving Doesn’t Honor YHWH”

Something I need to share with you. We’ve been doing things for so long that we stopped asking the most basic questions:

“Where did this come from?”

“Does this honor YHWH?”

We were taught to celebrate this day like it was sacred. Told it’s about “family” and “gratitude,” so we just went along with it. But when you strip away the feelings, the tradition, the cute little stories, the truth is raw:

YHWH never commanded this day. Not once. If He didn’t establish it, nothing we do; no meal, no decorations, no ritual can make it holy.

On the surface, Thanksgiving looks harmless: food, family, togetherness. But peel it back and you see the dark side and how its not rooted in scripture at all. This wasn’t just a “friendly meal” back in the day. When the colonizers came, they didn’t politely ask to share the land. No. They broke agreements, took land by force, massacred entire communities, stripped people of homes, rights, and dignity. Families were torn apart. Lives were destroyed. For many Indigenous people, this day is observed as a National Day of Mourning to acknowledge the genocide and suffering caused by European colonization. And today? People wrap that history in cartoons, decorations, and feel-good stories. Pain was turned into a celebration. Suffering was covered up with a shiny bow. And most people don’t even stop to think about it.

But avoiding truth doesn’t change truth.

Have you ever heard the saying, “Question everything”?

It’s time we do. We can’t afford to be lax, indifferent, or casual about traditions that risk our souls and salvation. Thinking something is harmless just because “everyone does it” can cost more than we realize. Scripture warns us:

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”1 John 2:15

And YHWH also warned us:

“You reject the commandment of YHWH, that you may keep your tradition.” Mark 7:9

And then look at what people serve; sugar, dyes, preservatives… and swine. Swine, which YHWH never called food:

“A people continually provoke Me to My face, sacrificing in gardens and burning incense on bricks; they have eaten swine’s flesh and the broth of abominable things is in their vessels.” Isaiah 65:3-4

We can season it how we want, unclean is unclean. And a lot of people will point to Peter’s vision or verses about nothing entering the mouth defiling a person and say, “See? It’s okay now.” No. The Messiah wasn’t overturning YHWH’s Law. He was correcting man-made rules. The Law still stands. Swine is still unclean (Leviticus 11; Deuteronomy 14). That’s why I repeat this verse throughout my posts: it reminds us that what YHWH has declared unclean is not negotiable. His instructions aren’t suggestions; they’re meant to guide, protect, and set us apart, no matter how culture tries to justify it.

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law… Until heaven and earth pass away, not one jot or tittle will pass from the Law.” Matthew 5:17-18

And Peter himself reminds us to remain holy in all things:

“But sanctify YHWH in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to everyone that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you…” 1 Peter 3:15

Unclean is unclean, no matter how you cook it or what you call it. And hospitals fill up during this season, heart attacks, strokes, emergencies. Our bodies respond to what YHWH already warned us about.

And let’s not forget the pagan roots. Most of these celebrations weren’t just made up by man, they were taken from pagan practices, and we dressed them up to look innocent. But underneath, the roots are rotten. YHWH never told us to take something pagan and “clean it up.”

Then look at the world today. Prices rising, empty shelves, families struggling just to eat, and society is pushing people to overspend, overcook, and overdo it for one day. People go broke and call it “tradition.” Doesn’t make sense.

We really need to ask:

Who benefits from this day?

Because it’s not YHWH.

It’s not the families struggling.

It’s not the Indigenous people who suffered.

And it’s definitely not the souls trying to live righteously.

And the enemy? He loves this. He loves when people follow culture instead of truth, comfort instead of obedience:

“…the deceiver of the whole world.” Revelation 12:9

At eScential S.O.Y., we’re not here to pour into man-made traditions. We’re here to bring real help, real hope, real comfort, by feeding the hungry, clothing the struggling, lifting those who feel forgotten. That’s real thanksgiving. Your money isn’t feeding a system, it’s bringing healing to real people.

Scripture calls us to be wise:

“A wise man saves for the future.” Proverbs 21:20

True thanksgiving isn’t on a calendar.

It’s a lifestyle. It’s obedience. It’s humility. It’s choosing YHWH over culture every single day.

“Offer to YHWH the sacrifices of thanksgiving and perform your vows to the Most High.” Psalm 50:14

So I’ll leave you with this:

Am I honoring YHWH or honoring tradition?

Are my choices based on Scripture or just what I grew up doing?

Is my gratitude real, or just routine?

Because real thanksgiving lives in how we walk, how we serve, and how we obey YHWH, daily.

Tradition fills plates. Truth fills souls.

Dana M.