Dear John,

Thanksgiving was my mom’s favorite holiday of the year.  She loved to cook the traditional Thanksgiving meal and also enjoyed adding some of our favorite Hungarian dishes. For the fruit portion she would put together pears, pineapples and cherries in a way that each small plate looked like a turkey.  All the kids and grandkids loved that. She passed away 14 years ago and we still miss her.

We all have our Thanksgiving traditions and I hope yours is a very special day with friends and family.

As you celebrate, I encourage you to take time to remember the beautiful history of Thanksgiving. The first Thanksgiving was in 1621, which was 398 years ago. It lasted three days and was enjoyed by 90 Native-Americans and 53 Pilgrims.  Turkey, deer, fish, potatoes and corn were on the menu and much more.

The theme at the first Thanksgiving was to “Thank God for his favor.”  Today, we thank the Lord for His favor.  We’re blessed to live in this great country of freedom, opportunity and equality under the law.  We also thank our military, first responders and medical professionals who serve our nation and community.

I close with a note of thanks to all of you.  Thank you for the opportunity to represent you.   

Don Bacon

Congressman, Nebraska's Second District