The morning times., 1895-11-25
STORY OF THANKSGIVING
Great Autumn Festival Originated
by the Puritan Fathers.
Kindred Holidays In Other Lands and
How They Came to Be
Instituted.

The story Of the first Thanksgiving i
| New England loses none of its interes
as time rolls on. With each anniversary
new charm bcckons in persuasive puwe
| TO Old colony days in Plymouth. 1t Is
land of lingering visions; OF scant stock o
| Pilgrim Fathers. survivors Of the hundre
soulsand more washed by the Mayflower o.
the bleak New England coast when winie
| prevailed against them so that their cluthe
| froze, many times like coats of iron. Bu
mark to a clank of cntlass and corslet o
steel! What, no! Miles Standlsh, "cIaG
| III uoubiet and hose and boots OF CordoyaI
leather" stridng again with martial air
and yet once more doth the hurrying per
or the stripping, John Alden, with tn,
dew of his youth and the beauty thereof. ~
indite epistles filled with the name and the
fame OF Priscilla, the "loveliest maid In
Plymouth"
Two hundred and seyenty-five years have
passed since the faint line OF the Atlantic
coast shtDmcred before the straining eyes
OF the Puritan forefathers; but it Is not
hard to picture their first Thanksgiving in
the golden autumn OF 1912. The cruel
hungry winter (there was row OF graves
and their number was almost half OF the
entire company. was pas sed. Summer
smiled on their cornfields and autumn
brought abundant harvest. 1t is joyous
description that Edward Winsiow. the
historian of the Plymouth colony. writes OF
the pioneer PuritanicaI Thanksgiving that
followed.
''ourharvest being gotten in our Governor
CWilliam Bradfordj sent four men on 70 wiling;
so that we might after u special manner
rejoice together after we had gathered
the fruits OF our labors. They four in one
day killed as much foule as. with little
help beside. served the company almost a
week. Atwhichtime. amongst other recrea-
tion we exercised our arms. many OF the
Indians coming amongst us. ana among the
rest their greatest King Massasoyt. with
some ninety men, whom for three days we
entertained and feasted. and they went
out and killed five deer. which they brought
to the plantation and bestowed on our
Governor. and upon the captain (Myles
Standishi and Others"
Gov Bradford completes the picture by
enumcratinC the blessings which induced
the thanksgiving ceremony:
They began now to gather in ye small
harvest they had and 10 fitte up their
homes and dwellings against winter. be-
ing all well recovered in health and
strength. and they had all things in good
plenty; for as some were thus employed
in affairs abroad. others were exercised
in fishing about codd. and bass and other
every family had their portion All ye
Somcr thCr was no waste and now began
to come in store of foule. as winter ap-
preached. OF which this place did abound
when they came first (but afterwards de-
creased by degreeSJ and beside water foule
ther was great store of wild Turlies OF
which they took many. beside venison.
&c. Beside they had about a peck of
meal a weeke to a person. or now, since
harvest India n 20 nrnnprfiCn -
Not one Of the American holidays is so
suggestive OF the love OF home which Is
dominant in the national mind as Thanks
giving; but in history the festival does
not find its exclusive home here. The
Thanksgiving idea Is an old one. The
New England Puritans, in commemo-
rating day Of thanks, were only folio wing
in the footsteps of the Hebrews, who an
nually observed a feast of TaberDa cles or
OF IBgathering. Thanksgiving lives in the
classic authors in illusions to the Feasts
OF Demeter. Harvest homes were held
by the Saxons and the CeIts and what more
beautiful picture of an aboriginal autumn
festival could there be than the story Of
Hiawatha's Feast of Mondamin.
Thanksgiving obssrvances are not un-
known to the history OF England. Under
Elizabeth II was specially provided that on
Day no servile work should
be performed and severe penalties were
dtldNilttl Itl IHe NlDldllOu pl Inis vi
no less a hero, moreover, than that OF the
famous satirical poem OF the time OF the
is il recorded:
For Hudibras who thought he 'ad won,
The field as certain as gun,
\ nd having routed the whole troop,
With victory was cok-a a-hoop-
he 'ad done enough TO purchase
Day among the churches.
But our American Thanksgiving is not
n I, of Tho
store of wild Turkies Of which they took
many is narrated by Governor Brad
ford. explains an historic feature Of the
lay big wiif the fate Of many fou1es."
After the first observance In 1921, cele-
brations were held, not regularly each
wear. but as occasion dictated. Nor was it
always a harvest festival very frequently
political and military events suggested the
For example. n thanksgiv-
ing was observed in July, 1928, for the ar |
-ival of some provisions; in June g, 1859,
On the accession of william and Mary; |
he Massachusetts Colony gave thanks July |
g. 1880. for the arrival Of ships, and |
n October, 1881, for tie safe arrival Of |
Mrs. winthrop and her children. On |
June >. 1852. a Gay of ''rubliQue thanks |
giving throughout the suell plantacons' |
vas appointed in recognition of the ''m'cy |
IF God yOuCiisafed 10 the churches of God |
n Germany and the PailatInate.' The |
-ictOry over the Pequo's was celebrated |
n 1857: and in 1861 a thanksgiving was |
ield for stopping the bottles OF heaven |
md restraining the IRA igns." About 1850 |
lie celebration of the now historic holi- |
lay became an annual State custom in |
Thanksgiving Day OBJ |
ervanCes were held as early in the his |
ory OF Connecticut as 1859, and occa- |
ional days for giving thanks were ap- |
pointed by tile Dutch Governor of New |
York from rs early as 1914.
New England from the first regarded |
Thanksgiving as Virginia celebrate ed
Christmas. The festival found its great
,st observance in its original home.
The critics who harp upon the perver-
lion of Thanksgiving Day from its orig
nal purpose of day OF strict religious
observance are silenced once for all by |
he conditions of the initial celebrat tions
" Governor Bradford and his constitu-
lnts. in three dayS' feasting the neigh