Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1864-11-23
/. O G a l. n T. w 8.

TulNKsalvlNG.-To-m morrow Ia a day which
will be celebrated throughout the loyal North by
Thanksgiving and rejoicings. Our citizens, we
are sure, win not fail TO render their homage OF
praise. Why the yearly Thanksgiving day should
generally come IN November hss caused hAhy
fanciful coDjectures, and among them we rsmem-
bar that certain ahnotator on the Lupsrtdld Iest
walls Of ancient Rome, suggested that november
being the ninth month in the Albsn oalendat-ihe
cessation month-wAs the most appropriate lor
Thanksgiving day pdncoUis on fertility ana ptos'
perity-or, in other words, to the god LUZ eFeus
dence, that the indian summer which CONS IN
November WAS the time when the red trihes wot. VI
startle game from our hills for their winters pro-
vision-a portion OF which they would give to the
Great Spirit, in acknowledgment of their graft
tude. II 10 AlsO remarks able coincidence that our
Saxon ancestry were accustomed TO this month,
which they called the biof-mondih the bloody
month, to prepare their winters provisions and
show their gratitude to their gods by giving up a
portion OF the animals killed as sacrifices. In
these days the hogs suffered as the turkeys do In
ours, and especially about the nth Of the month,
the time Of 81. Martins festival.
This custom OF hog.slSughter for Thanksgiving
barbecuea no longer exists, and 10 only commem.
| GRATED by the Spanish proverb: "His MArrnmAs
is coming, when we shall all be hegs alike"
All nations have had their State as well IS their
church feasts The civil or state feast is special
| religious Thanksgiving. The Mshomedans have
two during the year-the Feast OF Bairam and the
Feast Of Victim-which occurs on the 10th day oi
the last month Of their year The Chinese have
two, both of which are in honor Of COntucius.
The Jews had special feasts besides those of the
|
The Greeks had the Aglaurta, in honor OF Aglau'
| Tos, the DAUGHTER Of CecrOpsi the Artemisia. in
| hooor OF Diana, and others, besides their special
games, aA the olympian, the PythiAn, the 18th.
| milan, and the NemeAn. The Romans had various
holidays or fessts, which they called Ferin. They
were divided into three kinds, the eriG Hd'irT, the
feTiG cOnceptird, and the GsriG impctirr The hrst
the StdiipT, were marked In the calendar, such al
| the Agonalia.
The ConeepfirG were held every year, but a,
| VArro informs us they were appointed by the
| magistrates or priests. To these belonged the
feriG latina, instituted by the last TArquin, In
| commemoration of the alliance between the RO
mans and the Latlns, and consisted OF worship tO
Jupiter LditdTu. AZ long as the Latin republic eX
listed this day was selected for the special purpose
OF debera ating on the matters Of the confeder aoy
| II was day ofgreat rejoicing. The people woulC
pArtase TO groves and engage In swinging or stay
at their homes and indulge in drinking. They
would drink from their murrhA cups, fret Il
server.
The impsTtipn were held on days appointed By
the cOnsus or pTRtors in celebration OF a victory
or for the purpose OF averting some extrAo
prodigy. These were the most solemn. All kin0
OF business was suspended. master could emAnci
pate his slave on that day, because 1t WAS deGC
, of justice and ought to be considered a duty o
religion.
our Thanksgiving pArtakes Of the character o
eialy similar to the PGgdndlid, an annual leHtivA
held In NumA's time by every pd9us, or foItife
town of The Commonwealth II occurred but ono
a year, and was general thanksgiving fer JOY
received. The soldiers were not then iargotten b
the people, nor will they tomorrow be iorgotte
by our citizens and those OF the states.
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