Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1896-11-26
ORIGIN OF THE DAY.
First Thanksgiving Proclamation
Was Printed In 1877.

Eas no Christmas, for Christmas, to |
the sombre Puritan mind was PapL |
'dolatry. When Thanksgiving Day be-
came an annual festival it assumed |
many OF the features of the old Eng
hsh Christmas. It was simply day
OF reunion in November instead of De-
cember, with the exception OF the in.
terchange of gifts, day on which
Puritans ate turkey and Indian pud.
ding and pumpkin pie instead OF such
"sacruegious meats" as boar's head.
sirloln, peacock and plum pudding.
But Thanksgiving Day was not {
fixture in New England until long
time after the landing of the Pilgrims,
nor yet original with the yankees:
Days had been set apart for giving
thanks to the Almighty in Europe be.
fore the Reformation and were in fire.
quent use by Protestants afterwards,
especially in the Church OF England,
where thanks days were fixed custom
long before they were in the Colonies.
Even farther back I'VE can trace the
custom OF setting apart festivals o.
Thanksgiving in ancient history, when
the priests would designate time for
feasting in COMMUNICATION of great
victory or of successful crops.
The first Thanksgiving in New Eng
land was issued from the UPS of the
Popham colonists at Monhegan, in
''giving God thanks" for safe arrival
in America and for other liberal
| blessings, which were perhaps moro
imagined than realized. The first
Thanksgiving week in Plymouth was
observed in December, 1921. and
dozens of wild turkeys were killed to
make the feast. That was the frst
'cold day for the turkeys"
Two years later severe July
drought scorched the corn and bea rs,
and a fast day of nine hours of pra yer
was observed. A rain followed that
"revived their withered corn and
dropping Affections" in tie quaint
language OF contemporaneous chron.
icleb "A second day Of Thanksgiving
was set apart because sit would show
great ingratitude if they smothered
up the same"
In 1880 the first public Thanksgiv.
ing was observed in Boston on account
of the safe arrival of food.laden ships
from England. From that time until
1864 there was in New England an
average of one Thanksgiving Day in
two years. It would be difficult to say
Just when Thanksgiving Day became
fixture in the whole of New England,
though from time to time days were
designated for rejoicing on account of
the "dissi patton Of pirates, abatement
OF disease or for the safe arrival of
persons of special use and quality" as
we'll as in gratitude for abundant har.
vest.
The harvest gratitude accounts for
the fact that the festival generally
came in the fall, though it was by no
means limited to Thursday or to No
vember. On one occasion the town
Of Colchester ignored the Governor
appointed day and had its own feast a
week later in order to allow time for
Tie arrival OF sloop from New York
with hogshead CT molasses for the
pumpkin pies"
; The first printed Thanksgiving proc
. lamation occurred in Massachusetts in
, 1877. During the $. Revolutionary
period frequent Thanksgiv,ngs were
; appointed in acknowledgements for
mercies enjoyed" and it WAS during
| this time that the observance Of the
day became in any degree National.
For the Continental Congress ordered
eight different days os Thanksgiving,
which fell in April. May, July and De
, cenber.
) When the war was over and the Con
stitution had been drawn up it wa
! proposed to incorporate such . da,
; within its imits. Although there va
: nothing inserted IN onr fundame enta
/ law, the motion. was soon carried il
/ effect. Washington appointed in tha
: year. 1852, November Is ~ Thanks
giving Day. But not 80 great atten
ton Was paid to that 6rst Presidentla
call to thanksgiving as TO the late
proclamation by Waehington.-Psth
..ader.