The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1883-11-27
RED STORE, 2O7 OHIO ST
THANKSGIVING DAY.
Some Of the Customs Which Gave
Rise to the Celebration of
the Day

Thanksgiving day is an annual relig-
iOus festival, observed III the Uni,ed States,
and particularly in New England, suggest
ed by the Hebrew feast of tabernscies. or
least of ingaihering at the end Of the
year" The occasional Observance OF a day
of thanksgiving, formally recommended by
the civil authorities. was not unusual In
Europe, and such day was observed in
Leydep, Holland, Ocl. 3, 1878, the first an
niversary of the d-liverance of that city
from siege. In 1908 the Pilgrim church,
exiled from England, went to Holland, and
remained there till 1920, when il sent Of
the Mayhower colony TO New England
After the first harvest Of the coionists ut
Plymouth in i62l, Gov. Bradford sent four
men out fowling, that they "mIghi after n
more special manner rejnice together" In
July, 1923, day of fasting and prayer was
appointed on account OF drought. lain
came sbundan,ly while they we're praying
and the governor appointed a day Of
thanksgiving, which was observed with
religious services. The Charleston records
show similar change of fast day into
thanksgiving in 1851 On account of the ar
rival Of supplies from ireland. In June,
1867, Gov. Winthrop, OF the NJ 'ssachusetIs
Bay ,oiony, recommended day of thanks
giving on account of action of the British
privy council favorable to the colonies,
and invited the governor of Plymouth c,l
ony to unite with him. There is record of
the official appointment OF days of thanks
giving in Massachusetts, Bay in 1888, 1854,
1887, 1888, and 1889. sometimes If mo-
Ian one day in the same wear, and in
Plymouth in 1861 l66S, 1850 when the
form of the r. recommendation indirales that
it had become an annual cu>tom,) 1889.
AID 1890 The earlier Of these appoint
ments were at different sc sons IF the year,
and for special I. asOns, particularly for The
arrival of ships with provisions and new
colouists; but the latter were more gener.
ally for the harvest, and were in the late
autumn or early winter. OCCASION
thanksgiving days were ap, oinred bv The
Dutch governors of New Ne,herland in
1914, 1645, 1866, and 1864 and by the
English governors OF NV York i'm 1855
and 1850. During the revolution, thanks
giving day WAS a national institution, he
ing annually recommended by congress
but after the general thanksgiving for
peace In 1884 there was NO national sp
pointment till 1889, when President Wash
ington, by request of congress, ecOmms nj
ed day Of thanksgiving for the adoption
Of the constitution. Washington issued
second thanksgiving proc am ition in 1895
on account of the suppression of insurrec-
ton. President Madison, by request of
congress, recommended thanksgiving for
peace in April, 1915. But Ie official
recommendation of thanksgiving day WIS
mainly confined TO New England, where
regular proclamations were is ued by the
governors of the states, and the day was
observed almost universally with religious
services, md WAS the principal social and
home festival of the year. The prayer book
OF the Protestant Ep,scop'l church, ratified
in 1889. recommends for d,y of thanks
giving the first THURSDAY in November, un
less another day be appointed BY the civil
authorities. There was occ tsional recon-
mendation BIZ other religious bodies, and
various local customs prevailed in differ
ent parts OF the cOutry but the day Was
not regularly recommended by the COVER
nor OF New York till 1917, and its adop-
ton in the southern states was much later.
In 1855 Gov. Johnson Of Virginia recon-
mended q day OF thanksgiving; but in
1857 Gov. Wise, being requested 10 do SO,
publicly declined, bee ,use unauthorized TO
interfere in religious matters. In 1858
thanksgiving proclamation were issued by
the governors of eight of the southern
states. During the civil war, President
Lincoln issued prOclamalions recommend
ing special thanksgiving for victory in
1862 and 1868, and a national proclama-
ton of the annual thanksgiving day in
1868 and 1864. Since that time snch a
proclamation has been issued annually BY
the president, as ", II as by the governors
of the states and the may. r. of the princi
pal cities and custom has fixed the time
for the last Thursday in November.
Mrs. BrOadhead Dead.
Intelligence was received in this city last
a:nh& 4hai MEs Rraadhsad wifa Of Tho