The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1896-11-27
ORIGIN OF THE DAY.
First Thanksgiving Proclamation
Was Printed in 1877.


Was Printed in 1877.
In the old New England days there
was no Christmas, for Christmas, to
the sombre Puritan mind was Papal
idolatry. When Thanksgiving Day be-
came an annual festival it assumed
many of the features of the old Eng.
lish Christmas. 1t was simply day
of reunion in November instead of De-
cember, with the exception of the in
tercbange of gifts, day on which
Puritans ate turkey and indian pud-
ding and pumpkin pie instead of such
'sacrilegious meats" as boar's head,
sirloin, 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 Earope be-
fore the Reformation and were in fre-
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 we can trace the
custom of setting apart festivals of
thanksgiving in ancient history, when
the priests would designate time for
feasting in commemoration of great
victory or Of successful crops.
The first Thanksgiving in New Eng
land was issued from the lips of the
Popham colonists at Monhegan, in
"givinS God thanks" for safe arrival
in America and for other liberal
blessings, which were perhaps moro
imagined than realized. The fret
Thanksgiving week in Plymouth was
observed in December, 1921. and
dozens of wild turkeys were killed to
mako the feast. That was the first
"cold day for the turkeys"
Two years laeer severe July
drought scorched the corn and beans,
and fast day of nine hours Of prayer
lswas observed. a rain followed that
"reyivod their withered corn and
dropping Affections" in tie quaint
language OF n contemporaneous chron.
icler. A second day Of Thanksgiving
was set apart because "it would show
great ingratitudo if they smothered
up the same"
In 1880 the first public Thanksgiv.
ing was observed in Boston on account
of tho safe arrival of food laden ships
from England. From that time until
1864 there was in New England an
average of ono Thanksgiving Day in
two years. 1t 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 "dissipation Of pirates. abatement
of diseaoc or for the safe arrival of
persons of special use and quality" as
we'll rs in gratitude for abundant har-
vest.
The harvest gratitude accounts for
tho fact that tho festival generally
came in the fall, though it was by no
means limited to Thursday or to No
vcmber. On ono occasion the town
of Colchester ignored tho Governor 8
appointed day and had its own feast II
wCci; later in order to allow time for
the arrival of sloop from New York
with n hogshcad CT moasses for the
pumpkin pies"
The first printed Thanksgiving proc
! lamation occurred in Massachusetts, in
! 1917. During tho Revolutionary
period frequent Thanksgivlngs we're
appointed in acknowledgements for
Incrcies enjoyed" and it was during
this time that tho observance of the
' dav becama in anv dearaa National