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Show ODD THANKSGIVINGS ISiSS Thanksgiving. tln uHli commonly regarded re-garded aa being from Its earliest beginning be-ginning a distinctively New England festival and Puritan holiday, waa originally neither. The flret New Kng-Isnd Kng-Isnd Thanksgiving was observed by the Popham colonists at Monhegan, In the Thanksgiving service of the Church of England. "Oivlng Cod thanks" for safe arrival and many other liberal Mcsslnga.snys Mrs. Karle In her "Customs of Old New Knr.1 md " Ihtys set apart for thsnksglvlng ere known In Europe before the llet-nrmatlon, llet-nrmatlon, end wore In frequent use by Protestants afterward. Hut the first New England Thanksgiving was not a day of religious observance, but s day of recreutlon Edw.ird Winnlow writing December 11. IS. to a friend In England, says: "Our harvest being be-ing gotten In. our governor sent four men out fowling so that we might, 'te a spe I il n a n r. rejo ce together after we hail gathered the fruits- of our labors. The four killed aa much fowl, as with a little help beside, nerved the tompany about a week. At which times among our recreations w exercieed our arms, many of th Indians coming amongst us, snd among the rest their greatest king, Maasasiiyt, with some ninety men. whom for three clays we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed live deer which they brought and bestowed on our governor, and upon the caplnlns and others." As tlovernor Bradford recorded that during dur-ing that autumn "beside water fowl ther was great store of wild turkles." the Pilgrims fared better at their Thanksilvlng than their English co lain la-in s, for turkeys were not plentiful In England at that date. The Indian visitors Joined In the games. Theea recrentlons were doubtless competitions competi-tions In running, lcip'nr, Jumping and perhaps atool b ix. I rohi b'r th women wom-en of the colony had Utile time to Join In the recreations as the four women, with the help of one servant, and a few young umhls. had to prepare pre-pare and cook food for 120 hungry men. There Is no record of any special spec-ial religious service during this week of feasting. On February 22. In 1030, the first public thanksgiving Wns he d In Boston by the Bay Htnte rtiloify In gratitude for the snfo arrival of Ships bearing food nnd fi lends. On November Novem-ber 4. 1131, Thnnksglvlng day was kept again III Boston. Kroin that time' till 16X1 there were lit least 12 public (hatikaglvlng days appointed In Massachusetts. Mas-sachusetts. Rhode Island nml Connecticut. Con-necticut. People do not seem to hav celebrated Thanksgiving In the early daya. In Connecticut the fostlval waa not regulnrly observed tintl! 1718. Thnnksglvlng was nrt always appointed appoint-ed In early days for the fame' token of God's licuencence, nor ws It always al-ways set upon Thursday or for any special season, but the frequent appointment ap-pointment In gratitude fur bountiful harvests finally made the autumn the customary time. When the; festival of Thanks liecame annual It assumed niatiy features of the old English Chrlstmaa. In the year 1K77 the first regular Thanksgiving proclamatlim waa printed. Neither rhlnawars n earthenware was plentiful- In - earl) dnys. although earthenware le men-tinned men-tinned In early Inventories. Th table furnishings consisted largely of wooden wood-en trenchers. The time when America was settled waa the era when pewter-war pewter-war and a set of "garnish" of pewter pew-ter was a source of great pride to every colonial housekeeper. A universal uni-versal table furnishing was ths porringer, por-ringer, which wss usually of pewter. W hen not In use these were bung by their handles on the e.'ge of the dresser dress-er sbtlf. ' |
