I would have to agree with your basic definition, but if a person going to
Yeshiva Gedolah (post-highschool talmudic college) would not fall into this
category I feel there is something lacking in that person.
sgrams@zephyrnet.com wrote in reply to one of my previous posts on the issue:
<< I don't believe Thanksgiving is a "holiday of religious origin." It does
not mark or celebrate a religious event. Nothing of note in any religion
occurred on that date. Thanksgiving was a date set aside by a group of "new
Americans" to jointly and in unison cease all normal activity and, with
grateful hearts, to recognize and say "thank you" to G-d for their survival
through rough times in a new land. This makes it a holiday of [national
and] religious significance - but not of religious origin. >>
I have previously apologized for incorrectly stating that Reb Moshe's
opinion was that Thanksgiving is a religious holiday. I would like to
mention that there are many people, not just Rabbonim (Rabbis) but regular
people on the street, who feel that the origin of Thanksgiving was a day
set aside for 'religious thanks'. This is clearly NOT Reb Moshe's
understanding of Thanksgiving. On the other hand maybe we should be
somewhat aware of this opinion of Thanksgiving and be careful how we
'celebrate' it.
Dovid Rockove