The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-12-02
THANKSGIVING DAY.
Its Origin as a Festival.".Cus'
toms of its Observance.

toms OF It's observance.
Thanksgiving Day is solely an American
Festival. No other people observe holi-
day of that character, and it is Yankee
both in it's origin and style of observance.
The traditions concerning its institution
as holiday by the Pilgrim Fathers are
various. According to some writer's, it
originated in 1924 after this wise: The
harvest of that year having been a plenti-
full one, and the colony having good reason
to be thankful to God for his preservation
of them, and his bounties to them, they
determined to appoint day on which to
give thanks formally and publicly. Ac-
cordingly Governor WILLIAM BRADFORD
dispatched a company for game, that they
might have Injuries for feast, and rejoice
together after the fruits of their labors
were earned. "So," as the record runs.
"They got their game, and they cooked it,
and they ate it, and they feasted Massasoit
and ninety of bis Indians, and they thank
ed God with all their hearts for the good
of the world and the good things in it.
And so they kept up their first Thanks.
giving. A quarter Of century elapsed,
when Governor BRADFoRn declared, that
since that day, no man has wanted food. J"
Another tradition is, that the colony
was sore pressed for food one year. The
ship on which they depended for supplies
had not come, and was thought to be lost
at sea. Their crops had failed, and gloom
and foreboding filed their hearts, as they
looked forward to winter OF suffering
and perhaps extinction. In their extremity
they set day of fasting and prayer, to
pray Heaven to avert the threatened ca
lamity. On the morning of the day, how
ever, the ship appeared in the harbor, and
their day of mourning was suddenly
changed to one of rejoicing and Thanks
giving 1t has been observed as the latter
ever since, to commemorate the deliver
ance of the colonies.
There is no doubt that in some such
manner the Festival did first originate.
AT any rate, it has come down to us from
those days, and is sacredly observed as one
of the time-honored institutions of Amer;-
can society. Long may it continue to
flourish.
Thanksgiving Day may be said to be a
family festival rather than religious or
national holiday. IT, is on this doy that
the family gathers around the well spread
board, and in the Eastern States the
younger members of the family, if sepa-
rated from home, generally visit the old
folks on Thanksgiving Day. The usual
religious exercises being over, the rest
the day is devoted to feasting and social
enjoyment, scarcely to less degree than
Christmas itself The traditional turkey,
oysters, pumpkin pie and egg-nogg are
concomtants of Thanksgiving dinner
an inseparable part of the festival.
But in the feasting and festivities of the
day, we should not lose sight of its pur-
pose. 1t is a day set apart to give thanks
to Almighty God for his mercies to u.s.
While we have suffered many calamities
and trials, there are countless blessings
which we still enjoy, and should feel
thankful for. Here in Minnesota, far re-
moved from the theatre of war, we feel
but few of its woes, comparatively, while
in general the harvests have been album
dant, health good, and society but little
disturbed. Hence, all should be disposed
to give
Praise to God, immortal praise
For the love that crowns our DAYS.
BOuGteouS source of every low
Let Thy praise our tongues employ:
All to Thee, our God, we owe.
Source whence all our blessings flow
All the blessings in the fields.
All the stores the garden Yields
tlOcks that whiten all the plain.
Yellow sheaves of golden grain
Lord, TOR these our souls shall raise
Grateful VOWS and solemn praise
Clouds that drop their iattening dews.
Suns that genial warmth diffuse.
All the plenty summer pours.
Autumn's rich o'erfiowing stores;
Lord for these our souls shall raise
Grateful vows and solemn praise.
Life and grace, whate'er our woe.
Still to Thee, our God we owe:
Though OF earthly hopes berett
Yet our hopes OF heaven is left:
And for these our souls shall raise
Grateful vows and solemn praise
And while plenty crowns our boards.
remember also the poor, who are perhaps
suffering foc food or fuel Aid them, give
them a chance to rejoice and be thankful.
too, and you will feel doubly happy and
contented as you are in the midst of the
festivities of your own home circle.
The two Indians killed about the first of
the month by our scouts near Fort Wads.