THANKSGIVING POEMS & PRAYERS

When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.~ Mary Angelou

Here are some wonderful thanksgiving poems to express our thanks at this special time of year. How often do we remember to thank our friends, family, and God?

In Canada, they celebrate Thanksgiving earlier in the year to give thanks at the end of the harvest season.

This statutory holiday occurs on the second Monday in October.

In 2022 Thanksgiving in Canada falls on Monday October 10th.

Thanksgiving in the United States however, is a holiday that is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. It marks the beginning of the holiday season and celebrates food and family. We come together to enjoy these special moments with family and friends.

In 2022 USA Thanksgiving falls on Thursday November 24th.

Our rural ancestors, with little blest,
Patient of labor when the end was rest,
Indulged the day that housed their annual grain,
With feasts, and off'rings, and a thankful strain
~ Alexander Pope

Thanksgiving Poems

Thanksgiving poems are an excellent way to express your gratitude for friends and family and all life has to offer. You can include them in cards that you send to love ones who might not be able to join you for Thanksgiving dinner, or you can include them on formal Thanksgiving dinner invitations.

Perhaps you would like to invite someone from your neighbourhood that doesn't have any family to go to for Thanksgiving.

Gratitude is an essential part of being present. When you go deeply into the present, gratitude arises spontaneously.~ Eckhart Tolle

Here is a Thanksgiving poem that was written especially for Americans celebrating their Thanksgiving holiday.

Giving Thanks

For the hay and the corn and the wheat that is reaped,
For the labor well done, and the barns that are heaped,
For the sun and the dew and the sweet honeycomb,
For the rose and the song and the harvest brought home-
Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!

For the trade and the skill and the wealth in our land,
For the cunning and strength of the workingman's hand,
For the good that our artists and poets have taught,
For the friendship that hope and affection have brought-
Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!

For the homes that with purest affection are blest,
For the season of plenty and well deserved rest,
For our country extending from sea unto sea;
The land that is known as the "Land of the Free"-
Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving

Gettin' together to smile an' rejoice,
An' eatin' an' laughin' with folks of your choice;
An' kissin' the girls an' declarin' that they
Are growin' more beautiful day after day;
Chattin' an' braggin' a bit with the men,
Buildin' the old family circle again;
Livin' the wholesome an' old-fashioned cheer,
Just for a while at the end of the year.

Greetings fly fast as we crowd through the door
And under the old roof we gather once more
Just as we did when the youngsters were small;
Mother's a little bit grayer, that's all.
Father's a little bit older, but still
Ready to romp an' to laugh with a will.
Here we are back at the table again
Tellin' our stories as women and men.

Bowed are our heads for a moment in prayer;
Oh, but we're grateful an' glad to be there.
Home from the east land an' home from the west,
Home with the folks that are dearest an' best.
Out of the sham of the cities afar
We've come for a time to be just what we are.
Here we can talk of ourselves an' be frank,
Forgettin' position an' station an' rank.

Give me the end of the year an' its fun
When most of the plannin' an' toilin' is done;
Bring all the wanderers home to the nest,
Let me sit down with the ones I love best.
Hear the old voices still ringin' with song,
See the old faces unblemished by wrong,
See the old table with all of its chairs
An I'll put soul in my Thanksgivin' prayers.

~ Edgar Albert Guest

Thanksgiving

Let us give thanks to God above,
Thanks for expressions of His love,
Seen in the book of nature, grand
Taught by His love on every hand.

Let us be thankful in our hearts,
Thankful for all the truth imparts,
For the religion of our Lord,
All that is taught us in His word.

Let us be thankful for a land,
That will for such religion stand;
One that protects it by the law,
One that before it stands in awe.

Thankful for all things let us be,
Though there be woes and misery;
Lessons they bring us for our good
Later 'twill all be understood.

Thankful for peace o'er land and sea,
Thankful for signs of liberty,
Thankful for homes, for life and health,
Pleasure and plenty, fame and wealth.

Thankful for friends and loved ones too,
Thankful for all things, good and true,
Thankful for harvest in the fall,
Thankful to Him who gave it all.

~ Lizella Augusta Jenkins Moorer

A Secular Thanksgiving Prayer

For what we are about to receive
let us be truly thankful
…to those who planted the crops
…to those who cultivated the fields
…to those who gathered the harvest.
For what we are about to receive
let us be truly thankful
to those who prepared it and those who served it.
In this festivity let us remember too
those who have no festivity
those who cannot share this plenty
those whose lives are more affected than our own
by war, oppression and exploitation
those who are hungry, sick and cold
In sharing in this meal
let us be truly thankful
for the good things we have
for the warm hospitality
and for this good company.

Religious Thanksgiving Prayer

Heavenly Father, on Thanksgiving Day
We bow our hearts to You and pray.
We give You thanks for all You've done
Especially for the gift of Jesus, Your Son.
For beauty in nature, Your glory we see
For joy and health, friends and family,
For daily provision, Your mercy and care
These are the blessings You graciously share.
So today we offer this response of praise
With a promise to follow You all of our days.
~ Mary Fairchild

Prayer of Thanksgiving

For mother love and father care,
For brothers strong and sisters fair,
For love at home and here each day,
For guidance lest we go astray,
Father in Heaven, we thank Thee

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.

For flowers that bloom about our feet;
For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet;
For song of bird, and hum of bee;
For all things fair we hear or see,
Father in Heaven, we thank Thee!

For blue of stream and blue of sky,
For pleasant shade of branches high,
For fragrant air and cooling breeze,
For beauty of the blooming trees,
Father in Heaven, we thank Thee.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Thanksgiving Prayer

As we sit together around this table,
We want to say thank you for allowing us
To be together in a world where so many families
Do not have this opportunity to do so.

Give us pause as we celebrate, to count our blessings
For without your blessing, this day would not be counted.
For we have so many thanks to say to you
As we prepare to enjoy the food you have
So bountifully allowed us to share,
And to extend our blessings with one another yet another day.

Lord, it is not that we do not appreciate
Your blessings as each day unfolds
It is only that we do not thank you
As often as each day brings with it your blessings.

Please forgive us for not counting you
As our true friend, our true light
As often as we should, Oh Lord,
For without you, we are lost.

We thank you for showing us our failures
So that we may see more opportunities,
To experience the joy of overcoming obstacles in life
As you daily guide us through each challenge.

And, Oh Lord, thank you for saving us
For without you, we would suffer forever.
It is only through your graces, Oh Lord,
That we sit here today united within our home.
Amen.
~ Byron Pulsifer

Great Thanksgiving Prayer

Lift up your hearts:
We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God:
It is right to give him thanks and praise.

For this lovely planet, earth;
for its beauty and fertility;
for the human family with its many races and faces;
and for Your utter faithfulness to us
in spite of rebellion and sin:
In the name of the Son, most gracious Redeemer, we thank you.

For your renewing presence, creating the Church
and inspiring deeds of justice and love:
In the name of the Spirit, most Holy Comforter, we thank you.

With angels and archangels,
and with all the company of heaven,
we proclaim your great and glorious name,
for ever praising you and singing:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
~ Bruce D. Prewer

Iroquois Thanksgiving Prayer

We return thanks to our mother, the earth which sustains us.
We return thanks to the rivers and streams, which supply us with water.
We return thanks to all herbs, which furnish medicines for the cure of our diseases.
We return thanks to the moon and the stars, which have given to us their light when the sun was gone.
We return thanks to the sun, that has looked upon the earth with a beneficient eye.
Lastly, we return thanks to the Great Spirit, in Whom is embodied all goodness,
and who directs all things for the good of Her children.

Now Thank We All Our God

Now thank we all our God
with heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done,
in Whom this world rejoices;
Who from out mother's arms
has blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love,
and still is ours today.

Father, We Thank Thee

Father, we thank thee for the night,
And for the pleasant morning light,
For rest and food and loving care,
And all that makes the world so fair.

Help us to do the things we should,
To be to others kind and good,
In all we do, in all we say,
To grow more loving every day.

Thanksgiving Observance

Count your blessings instead of your crosses;
Count your gains instead of your losses.
Count your joys instead of your woes;
Count your friends instead of your foes.
Count your smiles instead of your tears;
Count your courage instead of your fears.
Count your full years instead of your lean;
Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.
Count your health instead of your wealth;
Count on God instead of yourself.

Thanksgiving Prayer of the Longhouse People

In traditional First Nations culture, Thanksgiving is not an annual event, but rather a way of life. The following verse is from a traditional Iroquoian Thanksgiving address, which would be used to open a ceremony or gathering.

The Water

We give thanks to the water for our well-being
You quench our thirst
You give strength for plants and animals
and for many medicines.

The Creator

We give thanks to the Creator.
You have prepared all these thinks on Mother Earth
For our peace of mind.
We see that all things are following your teachings.
All together, we give thanks to you the Creator.

The People

We have been given the duty
To Live in harmony with one another
And with other living things.
We give thanks that this is true.

Mother Earth

We give thanks to our Mother Earth.
All that makes us strong and alive, comes from you.
We are like children as we walk upon you.
You nourish us and all living things.

The Plants

We give thanks to the plant life.
Within you is the energy that sustains many life forms.
You give us food, medicine, and beauty.

The Birds

We give thanks to the winged creatures.
You remind us to enjoy our life cycle.

The Four Winds

We give thanks to the four winds.
We listen, and hear your voices as you blow over our heads.
Always you bring us strength.
You come from the four directions.

Thanksgiving Blessing - Some Hae Meat

Some hae meat and canna eat,-
And some wad eat that want it;
But we hae meat, and we can eat,
Sae let the Lord be thankit.
~ Robert Burns

Thanksgiving Blessings

Lord, as we bow our heads to pray,
We celebrate Thanksgiving day
Help us to have the right attitude,
As we turn to you in gratitude.

Thank you, Lord, for this good food;
Thank you for our festive mood.
Thanks for blessings great and small;
Thank you, thank you for it all.

Thanksgiving Blessings

Bless the meadows, bless the deer.
Bless our loved ones, far and near.

Bless the apple-scented air.
Bless the food that we prepare.

Bless the forests, bless the birds.
Bless the tender shapes of words.

Bless the cities, bless the geese.
Bless the fragile wings of peace.

Bless the mountains, bless the streams.
Bless our starry borrowed dreams.

Bless the moon and bless the sheep
and bless the stranger sound asleep.

Pumpkin Poem

One day I found two pumpkin seeds.
I planted one and pulled the weeds.

It sprouted roots and a big, long vine.
A pumpkin grew; I called it mine.

The pumpkin was quite round and fat.
(I really am quite proud of that.)

But there is something I'll admit
That has worried me just a bit.

I ate the other seed, you see.
Now will it grow inside of me?

(I'm so relieved since I have found
That pumpkins only grow in the ground!)

Give Thanks

For each new morning with its light,
for rest and shelter of the night,
for health and food, for love and friends,
for everything thy goodness sends.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thanksgiving Quotes

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes a sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates vision for tomorrow. ~ Melody Beattie

For each new morning with its light, for rest and shelter of the night, for health and food, for love and friends, for everything Thy goodness sends. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one's own relations. ~ Oscar Wilde

As we express our gratitude we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~ John F. Kennedy

Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving.
~ W.T. Purkiser

To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven ~ Johannes A. Gaertner

Thank You

If you would like a personalized thank you poem written especially for you, Powerpapers offers a poetry writing service for special occasions.

You can send Thanksgiving ecards to your friends and family.

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thanksgiving poems