The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-11-23
DEAR OLD THANKSGIVING DAY.

SY CAMoRE, Ill

now more universally or more ioyously
celebrated than that of Thanksgiving
Day, which has been appointed for this
year on next Thursday. Though of New
England origin and for many years con-
fined almost exclusively to that section,
it has slowly but surely extended itself
all over our great country.
We are indebted for it to the Pilgrim
Fathers, who may be said to have cele.
brated it for the first time upon the
completion of their first harvest at
Plymouth in 1921, when Governor Brad
ford sent out four fowlers in search OF
game that they might after a more
special manner rejoice together" But
fasts we're much more common among
those hardy Puritans than feasts, and
though they occasionally observed gen.
eral Thanksgiving Day for some special
ly propitious occurrence, such as some
action favorable to them on the part of
the mother country or the arrival of a
ship-load of provisions, they devoted
much more time to deploring their mis-
cries than they did to rejoicing over
their blessings. 1t is said that their ad-
option Of the custom of annually ap
pointing Thanksgiving Day was due
to sensible old farmer-whose name
tradition has unfortunately failed to
preserve-who rose up when it was pro-
posed in the assembly to proclaim an
other fast, and plainly told them that
he believed God was weary Of their com
plants in view of the fact that he was
causing the earth to reward their labors,
that he had filled the seas and rivers
with fish, had made the air sweet ard
the climate healthful, and was permit
ting them the full enjoyment of civil
and religious liberty. The speaker there
fore proposed that instead of fast, a
day of Thanksgiving and feasting should
thereafter be annually proclaimed,
which sensible suggestion was unani-
mously adopted. Whether or not this is
true account of the origin of the prac-
tice, it is thoroughly established fact
that by the year 1850 it had become a
fixed custom for the Governor Of the
colonies of Plymouth and Massachusetts
Bay to appoint Thanksgiving Day late
in the autumn of every year, a usage that
soon extended to all the other New
England colonies.
The adoption of this custom outside
of New England was very slow. How
slow will be readily understood from the
fact. that as recently as 1855 it was con-
sidered remarkable event in Virginia
when Governor johnson recommended
the observance of Thanksgiving Day
and that Governor Wise refused to ap-
point one in 1857 on the ground that he
had no authority to interfere in religious
matters Thanksgiving Day was not
regularly appointed by the Governors of
New York until 1917.
During the Revolutionary war Con
gress annually recommended a general
Thanksgiving Day. Washington pro-
claimed one in $780, on the adoption of
the Constitution, and another in 1875
for the suppression of the whiskey in
surrection in Western Pennsylvania,
while Madison proclaimed one for peace
with England in 1915. After Madison,
Abraham Lincoln was the first President
to proclaim Thanksgiving Day, and he
did it in 1862 and 1868 for war victories.
In 1864 he proclaimed Thanksgiving
Day in November for general blessings.
and his example of that year has since
been annually followed by every one of
his successors and by nearly every State
governor down to the present time.
But popular as Thanksgiving Day
now is throughout the length and
breadth of this land, it is in New Eng
land that it still continues to be what it
has been for more than two centuries
the greatest and most eagerly anticipa-
ted holiday of the entire year. The old
Puritans and their descendants. who so
long frowned severely upon Christmas
which, indeed, many of the latter still
continue to do. refusing to it any recog-
milton whatever-found an excellent
substitute for its cheerful hilarity, peace
and good will in Thanksgiving Day.
For at least week before the important
occasion all was activity in an old-fash-
Toned, rural New England household. A
bushel or more of the best wheat was
sent to the mill to be converted into
-four, great rounds of beef were chopped
up into mince meat. Cart loads Of vel
low pumpkins. with an abundance of
milk. spices, ginger, molasses and sugar
were made up into pumpkin pies. An
abundance of turkeys, chickens and
geese were killed and made ready for
roasting A pair of immense plump
dings were baked in the largest sized
earthen pots with Indian buildings and
custard buildings to match. while there
was baking of pound cake, plum cake
and sponge cake from morning till
night.
From its very beginning divine wor-
ship was an important feature Of the
days observance, and that term divine
worship" meant something very differ
emit in rural New England in old colonial
doye ond avian for aoma fortv or 6ffu