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Show DAYS OF PAST THANKSGIVING i j History Proves that There Always Has I . Been a Time Set Apart for j Festivities. Thanksgiving is generally believed to hare commenced with the advent qf the Pilgrim fathers, and therefore a legacy to ns from New England. Eut when the true facts in the case come to light we find that Thanksgiving day was first celebrated by Popham colonists colon-ists at Monhegan, who joined in "Giving "Giv-ing God thanks" for their safe arrival and many blessings in the ritual laid down in the Thanksgiving service of the Church of England prayer book. It is known with what . antipathy the early Puritans regarded any and all of the holy days of the English church, and the celebration of such was sternly stern-ly forbidden in New England. How many of us know that days for giving thanks were set apart in Europe long before the reformation and were observed by the Church of England many years before the Pilgrims landed? land-ed? ? The first Thanksgiving in this country coun-try was not set apart as a day of religious re-ligious observance, but for recreation. On December 11, 1621, Edward Wins-low Wins-low wrote home to England the following follow-ing very quaint account of the week's program : "Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men out fowling so we might in a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruits of our labors. The four killed so much fowl that with a little help served the company about a week. Among other recreations were exercises, exer-cises, with our arms. Many of the Indians In-dians came amongst us and among them their greatest' king Massasoit with some ninety men, whom we for three days feasted and entertained. They went out and killed five deer, which they brought in and bestowed on our governor, upon the captains and others." So we get a good idea of the hospitality hos-pitality offered in those days. We learn, too, from Governor Bradford, that wild turkeys were plentiful, so we-feel we-feel a reasonable assurance that the turkey has a long and ancient lineage and prestige not to be usurped by any other bird on our Thanksgiving day platter. Only fifty-five English speaking people peo-ple sat down to the first Thanksday feast, but the addition of the Indians made a goodly compandor whom the poor, lonely and homesick women prepared pre-pared the dinner. There were only four of them, with one servant "and a few young maidekins." There is no record to be found of any religious worship during this week of feasting. In 1628 the second Thanksgiving day was ordered and observed by the Pilgrim Pil-grim fathers. Early Thanksgivings are not always celebrated in November nor upon Thursday, and it is not until 1677 that we firJd the first printed Thanksgiving proclamation, now owned by the Massachusetts . Historical society. so-ciety. It is interesting to note that since 1862 the president of the United States has set the last Thursday in November to be observed as a day of thanksgiving. And harking back to Pilgrim days, what a vast difference. Compare the harvest then and the harvest har-vest now. Whether our forefathers were ever actually reduced to the traditional tra-ditional five grains of corn each, is a fact not decided by history, but it is true that they returned thanks for the most meager fare and endured the most grinding hardships without a murmur. Like our forbears we make of the day a great time for feasting and games and not so much of church going. It is a day for family reunions and a day of abundant opportunity for making a cause of Thanksgiving in the "other fellow's" heart. |