Thanksgiving Sex

The American Thanksgiving holiday is done and gone: turkeys stuffed and eaten, dishes washed, guests most likely out the door (unless you have some stragglers you haven't yet evicted). My mind has cleared enough from the stress of family gatherings to return to the important topics in the world. Sex.

I just caught an article on CNN.com's belief blog about the Puritans, Thanksgiving and sex. This is not a combination I would have previously considered. One does not imagine the Pilgrims of Plymouth celebrating Thanksgiving in a wanton way. But apparently the New England Puritans not only had been found to indulge heavily in spirits under the right circumstances (funeral celebrations for instance), but looked upon the Catholic church's preference for sexual abstinence as unscriptual. Church of England members were disciplined if they refused to have sex with their wives and women could sue for divorce if husbands were unable to satisfy them sexually. Apparently sex (within marriage--they weren't that non-traditional) was more than celebrated.

I've learned never to be surprised by new nuggets of information from history. People have always been sexual beings. It's part of who we are. So why not the Pilgrims as well?

Thanksgiving is not a holiday I imagine to be sexy, although I did write one sexy fantasy short story set during this yearly feast. That was a while ago, but I'll include the link for fun. I think reading the above article I am going to have to rethink my mind frame at next year's holiday dinner.

Happy Post-Thanksgiving.