Calendar: Thanksgiving

The Church of Christ, Scientist is the only religious tradition in the United States that celebrates Thanksgiving as a religious holiday, with church services, personal healing testimonials, and specific Bible lessons for the holiday. The celebration of Thanksgiving even surpasses the celebration of Christmas for Christian Scientists, as they don’t worship as a community on Christmas unless it falls on a Sunday.

Mary Baker Eddy initiated the tradition of having Christian Science services on Thanksgiving. Eddy was an extremely grateful woman and was especially just grateful to be alive due to her near-death experience and scare after falling on ice. After her healing experience, she gained a new love and appreciation for God and all that he does. Eddy’s recovery and new found appreciation of God sheds light on why Thanksgiving was so important to Eddy and is now so important to Christian Scientists.

Virginia Harris, the elected leader of the First Church of Christ, Scientist notes that, "The Bible was very, very important to Mary Baker Eddy and, obviously, gratitude and thanksgiving are important threads throughout. [They are] an important way for us to connect with the divine. It opens our expressions, our thoughts, away from self-centeredness."