Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-11-19
Che essex County 9frala.
ISLAND POND, NOVEMBER 10, 1886.
rHANAksGrvING DAY.

Next Thursday is the great house
hold festival of the people of the
United States, the only one Of our
holidays of a religious character
which is distinctly American. And,
by the way, save Christmas, il is
The only religious holiday, other
than Sunday, that has state and ma
tional recognition. Easter, Whit
sunday, and other greatdays in the
church calendar, have no place as
festivals and holidays under our
laws.
The history of Thanksgiving Day
is brief. Attempts have been made
to show that 1t had its origin among
the Puritans in 1923, in desire to
substitute day of thanksgiving to
God at the close of the ingathering
of crops Instead of the old English
Christmas; but it is doubtful if such
an origin can be proved. Days Of
thanksgiving among the devout
were not unusual in Europe. In
July, 1923, a day of fasting and
prayer was proclaimed by Governor
Bradford, of the Plymouth colony,
in Massachusetts, on account OF
drought. A heavy rain fell while
the little band OF pilgrims were pray
ing, and the Governor appointed a
day of thanksgiving therefor. There
arc records of days of thanksgiving
being appointed in the colony of
Massachusetts Bay in 1899, "a, '37,
'ss, and 80, and in Plymouth in
1861, '6S and 80, in which year the
form of recommendation shows it
had become an annual custom.
1t seems most likely that the in
stitution of Thanksgiving day, as
we understand it in America, arose
from the deep religious feeling of
tho New England Puritans, and
was probably suggested by the Jew
ish Feast of Tabernacles, or "feast
of ingathering at the end of the
year." 1t grew into an annual Gus
tom in New England, and spread
thence to the other colonies. Dur
ing the Revolution, Thanksgiving
was a national institution, being
annually recommended by Congress.
After the general thanksgiving for
peace in 1884, there was no national
appointment till Pres. Washington,
in 1889, recommended one for the
adoption of the constitution. The
recommendation of our annual
Thanksgiving Day was confined to
the governors of states, and there
were number of states, chiefly in
the South, that had never adopted
the custom, up to the period of the
civil war.
1t was Pres. Lincoln who began the
custom of proclaiming a national
observance of Thanksgiving Day,
the day selected being the fourth
Thursday in November, and the
precedent he set has been followed
yearly by each successive President.
The governors of the states, as a
rule still issue proclamations, a sur.
vival of the ante 6ellum custom, but
they select the same day as that
designated by the President.
Thanksgiving is especially a
household festival. On that day
the custom is growing for the wide
ly-separated members of the house
hold to meet again around the Ole
hearthstone, and complete as far al
possible the family circle. Will,
the distinctively religious element
gather in the churches to return
thanks to the Almighty for hi.
goodness. men of all creeds and Of
no creed at all gather in families
and celebrate the day in a fitting
manner and with thankful hearts
AS the English cottager enjoys hi
roast goose at Michaelmas, 20 tn,
American devotcs himself to tn,
consumption of roast turkey ant
trimmings" Long may the PEG
pie of the United States observe
Thanksgiving Day!
@-----------.----
Of the thirty-fiye Democrats VIII,