Symbol for Gratitude
I am looking for a symbol of gratitude, thankfulness...all of the emotions we feel at Thanksgiving.
This is harder than it might appear. Thanksgiving is a national holiday recognized by the church, but there are no liturgical thanksgiving symbols on which to draw. Somehow I can't see a little pilgrim in the Episcopal Church, and I cannot, for the life of me, find a way to turn a pumpkin and haystack into an appropriate postcard and service bulletin art for my church's Thanksgiving service.
Then there are images of harvest and abundance, like wheat. Maybe. But the cornicopia (along with the pilgrim) were overused and worn out long ago. And for sure turkeys are completely out. Somehow I just do not see the service bulletin being adorned by what we slaughter and stuff in our faces on this most significant of occasions.
I have learned that the bellflower (campanula, canterbury bells) is a floral symbol for gratitude, especially white, so that might be something with which to work.
Another angle might be just a seasonal image, like a ghinko or maple, with all that fabulous color.
It is amazing to realize the I cannot come up with one liturgically significant symbol that says "Thanks be to God for all the blessings of this life" despite the fact those words weave through our liturgy constantly.
Maybe we need to invent a Thanks be to God symbol.
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