The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-11-26
TnANKSGIvING'S HISTORY.
Its Origin and Celebration-A Ma
tional Holiday.

vi TIE ~, OVu VVV vi pcObAc WV 80
about to celebrate the national feast
of Thanksgiving, how few, IL called
upon, could tell the origin and history
of this semi-religious festival. That it
originated in New England is gener-
ally known, but many would be sur
prised If informed that the first day OF
thanksgiving was in 1921. the year in
which tbs Pilgrim Fathers landed on
Plymouth Rock. An account, charm
ing in its simplicity, Of this first
Thanksgiving, Is found among the
writings OF Edward Winslow, and is
certainly worthy Of a place in this lit
tie sketch.
.'Our harvest being gotten in, our
Governor sent four men on fowling,
so that we might, after a special man
ner. rejoice together after we had
gathered the fruit of urlabors. They
four in one day killed as much fowl
as, with a little help beside. served
the company almost a week. At
which time, amongst other recreations,
we exercised our arms, many OF the
Indians coming amongst us, and
among the rest their greatest king,
Massasoyt, with some ninety men,
whom for three days we entertained
and Toasted; and they de, the lndi-
aus) went out and killed five deer,
which they brought to the plantation
and bestowed on our Governor and
upon the captain Miles Standish) and
others. And although it be not al
way so plentiful as it was at this
time with us, yet, by the goodness of
God. we are so far from want that we
often wish you partakers Of our
plenty"
The exact date of this first observ-
ance of Thanksgiving in America is
not known, but it was presumably in
October, or some ten months after the
Pilgrims landed. For many years
such a day was observed only on oc-
casions of unusual Importance, when
the colony had received some especial
manifestation of the sollcitude of Di-
vine Providence in its behalf. The
first record we have OF a day of gem
eral thanksgiving. appointed by the
Governor, was in 1868, when Noveni-
Der 20 was set apart for that purpose.
From thenceforth the feast day was
appointed with more or less regular
ity, and, although there seems to have
been no definite understanding in re-
gard to the period at which it should
be held, it appears to have occurred
nearly every year ONE time between
August and December.
In the Massachusetts Bay Colony
we find that a day of general thanks
giving was observed nearly every
year, but was also proclaimed only on
occasions of great Importance
In Connecticut, in both the Hart
ford colony, established in 1886, and
the New Haven colony, founded two
years later, the same custom obtained.
The record of the first thanksgiving
in the Hartford settlement shows that
it was held August 20, 1888, and is
found in the First Volume of the Pub
lie Records of Connecticut. The
proclamation in this instance, as in
deed on every occasion in the early
history of the colonies, is to the point,
being a simple formal appointment OF
the day. In 1865, however, the Gov
erners began to issue ruore elaborate
and wordy proclamations. The New
Haven records are incomplete, and no
mention of thanksgiving occurs until
1855, when it fell on October 81. and
November IA of the same year was set
apart for fasting and prayer. In the
same way we find the day of fasting
associated with the day of rejoicing
continually until October %, 1868.
when the last proclamation was issued
by the Governor of the New Haven
colony. The two settlements were
shortly afterward joined to form the
Connecticut colony.
In Rhode Island Thanksgiving Day
| seems to have been treated with a
| contempt in marked contrast to the
| spirit of reverence with which it was
observed in other parts of New Eng
land. The first heard of it there was
the proclamation of Governor Andres,
that unpopular representative of a
still less popular king, setting apart
December /, 1857, as a day of rest and
thanksgiving. He continued to issue
his edicts every year, but the feast
never gained a firm footholdin Rhode
Island during colonial times.
The custom of celebrating "harves'
home" or thanksgiving is more or less
intimately associated with all of the
States of the Union. Many years age
in some of them it was made q holiday
by State legislation. 1t became 1
national holiday soon after the Wa
/ of the Rebellion.-JelDeueT's Weekly
Woman's THANKSGIVING.
In an article on Woman's Thanks
giving in the Newark Sunday Cal
Rose Terry Cooke says:-Womei
ought to be thankful that they ar
women. But, as a generalthiug, the.
are not. How often we hear womei
say, ''If | only were a manr' An
when one has lived a long life ant
undergone the distinctive troubles
losses, illnesses, disabilities of 1
woman, it requires something beyon'
the limit of mere human patience ant
resignation to be really hearth
thankful for womanhood.
Womanhood has some material ad
vantages. A woman is generally en-
bowed with more delicate perception
keener appreciation, and a more in
nate refinement than a man. She la
a thousand trivial but pleasan
sources of enjoyment not allowed I
the other sex; and she has the kee
ioy of feelinp i'm her heart and some