Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving day is the American evolution of a long line of predecessors, both pagan and Christian. It dates as an annual national holiday from tlie fall of 1863. In that year President Lincoln sent a message to congress recommending the observance of a national day of thanksgiving, not only on account of the victories which had followed the Union arms, but also for the plentiful harvest. Since then the custom has taken deep root in many parts of the United States where it did not previously exist. Now it stands unique in history as a day on which a great nation, without respect to political party or religious creed, acknowledges with thankfulness the continued prosperity which God has been pleased to shower upon it. Over 3,000 years ago the Israelites wandering in the desert were instructed by Moses to observe a holiday similar in character to the modern American Thanksgiving day, when they came to the Promised Land. It was called the Feast of the Tabernacles and took place about the end of harvest time. Later in the world's history a feast answering the same purpose was held by the ancient Greeks in honor of Demeter, the deity who owned the earth in their eyes. The rallying point for this feast, which lasted nine days, was at Athens. All except murderers and barbarians took part in it. About the same time of year the Romans held a feast in honor of the goddess Ceres, who, though of feminine gender, seems to have presided over their department of agriculture. The Romans had no turkeys, and could not, of course, kjl and eat the sacred geese, but managed to get along very well on fat capons and Falernian wine for all that. More direct in the line of ancestry of the American Thanksgiving day was the Saxon harvest home. It began as soon as the crops were saved and lasted till the rnoon was at its full. Barbecues of oxen roasted whole, home brewed ale, bonfires and dancing made up a programmo not to be sneezed at even by Nineteenth century folk. But this feast was rather one held by individual families than the realm of England as a whole. The first Thanksgiving held on American 6oil was by the Pilgrim Fathers, in the year 1621, shortly af ter they landed at Plymouth rock. It was not very much of a thanksgiving, for they d;d not feel that they had very much to be thankful for, but wa3 rather a revival of the English harvest home. Matters were about the same in 1G22, and with much about the same result in giving thanks. In 1623, however, an expected ship f ailed to arrive with provisions when they were likely to be most wanted, and the prospects of famine were so bright that Gov. Bradford, acting in the undoubted exercise of his prerogative, ordered a day to be set apart for fasting, humiliation and prayer. But biifore the day appointed had come, provisions turned up all right, and the day was turned into one of thanksgiving. Mr. Winslow, one of the pilgrims, in a letter gives an interesting account of this memorable day in American history. The celebration was held with "glory, honor and praise, with all thankfulness to our good God which deals so graciously with us." Ninety Indians, headed by King Massasoit, arrived at the settlement in the nick of time and shared in the feast. This celebration was somewhat previous, for not long after the pilgrims were down to plain lobsters without bread, and spring water, "which," said Governor Bradford, "somewhat impaired the freshness of our complexions." As well it might. The Puritan settlers at Nantaskef fared little better than the Pilgrims sorne years later. On Feb. 9, 1631, provisions had reached a vanishing point. The last flour in the colony was baking in Governor Winthrop's oven. It was the day appointed for a public fast. At the last moment the ship Lyon was sighted. The fast was immediately changed into a feast. This is generally held as the first regular Thanksgiving day in New England. After this date thanksgivings were held every now and then, as the occasion for them aróse. A general day of thanksgiving was held in all the churches in New England on June 15, 1G37, to celébrate the signal victory over the Pequot Indians at Fort Mystic. The success of the synod in spttling the reli .; toa creed of all New England was alao celebrated in a special thanksgiving on Oct. 12 of the same year. Forty years later Governor Andros attempted to make the New England colonists give thanks in obedience to his commands. He appointed the first day of December, 1687, as a day of thanksgiving. People were about tired of the governbr's arbitrary ways by this time, and nobody thanked worth a cent. Several of those who would not dance to Governor Andros' piping were hauled before the courts to answer for their contempt. One sturdy old Puritan answered that "he was above the observation of days and times." This was not the last of the high handed governor's attempts to make the colonists gire thanks for tliings they didn't want. When James II expected an heir in direct succession tl the lish throne the stubborn Puritans of New England were told to be thankful on April 18, 1G88, thatthey were to be ruled by a race of Catholic kings. They eeemed to appreciate the prospect so little that Aug. 24 in the same year was also ordained as a day of thanksgiving by the governor to commemorate the birth of the ill-fated wanderer who was afterward known as the eider pretender. On this day the colonists weren't any happier than the pretender would have been himself if he could have foreseen his o-vn future. Queen Anne gave some more favorable opportunities of observihg national thanksgivings. April 5, 1703, was thus held with great rejoicings to celébrate the first of Marlborouglvs victories over the French. in Holland. All the American colonies had a good time on Aug. 2, 1704, when salutes were fired and general illuminationswere heldto commemorate the great victory of Blenheim by the same commander. Of all the Thanksgiving days held in obedience to orders from the English crown, that of Nov. 13, 1759, touched most rearly the hearts of the future American nation. For in that year the gallant Gen. Wolfe, aided by some of the best blood of the colonies, had stormed the heights of Abraham and taken Quebec from the French. The beginning of the end was seen in the Thanksgiving held by the colony of Rhode Island on June 15, 1763. That day was preclaimed a general holiday by the governor at the request of the general assembly, "in acknowledgment to the Supreme Being for the repeal of the late act of parliament imposing stamp duties." Thenceforward national Thanksgiving days rested on the surer foundations of the people's will. During the revolutionary wars, the observance of an annual national holiday was recommended by congress, and faithfully, kept by the whole people. In 1789, Washington, in a message to congress, recommended the setting apart of a day of thanksgiving to celébrate the adoption of the constitution. The overthrow of a local rebellion in 1795 was similarly observed, in accordance with the tenor of another message by the president. In 1815 President Madison proclaimed a day of national thanksgiving on account of the peace which closed the war of 1812. For forty-eight years no such day was observed, until the oustom was revived by Lincoln in 1863. During all this time the New England states were holding annual Thanksgivings on their own account. It is but fitting that in the evolution of this truly national holiday the original occupiers of the soil should have their part. The Protestant Episcopal prayer book of 1789 gives the first Thursday in November as the day for the observance of the annual thanksgiving, except some other day is selected by the civil authorities. The time now taken every year by the latter is the last Thursday of November. It was about this time each year that the American Indian was wont to build great fires in the woods and roast the flesh of the deer and bear and boil the corn and stew the pumpkin and make the weikin ring with the noise of his feasting, singing and dancing before the long winter closed