The herald., 1896-11-26
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( AN AMERICAN HOLIDAY !
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Whether Thanksgiving day was de-
signed to fall in November, and thus
follow election day, or whether election
day was put in November, that it might
have the other useful day to clinch its
victories, or whether, as is more likely,
the placing of either date was wholly
without regard to the other, is of little
consequence, since they follow each
other in the most logical sequence.
Election day, with its turmoil and eX-
citement and anxiety, comes. And when
it has gone, along comes the climax of
an autumn month, the American Thanks
giving day. While Thanksgiving is not
responsible for the importance at pres
ent attached to the day, and in America,
and nowhere else, is Thanksgiving day
regularly observed and appointed holi-
day year after year.
No doubt the Thanksgiving custom
is rightly ascribed to the pilgrims as
it's source, for it is said that after the
first harvest they made they had spe-
cial dinner, that they might rejoice over
the bounties the year had brought them.
and over their freedom from persecution,
which had chased them from English
homes. At this feast wild fowl supplied
the place of honor, now so readily yield
ed up exclusively to the turkey. a couple
of years later Thanksgiving was EN-
phasiZed in peculiar manner The
ground had responded but i'll to the ef-
forts of the husbandman, and the drouth
had burned up the meager crops that
want of rain. and the hot sun failed to
develop A general day of prayer was
fixed by the governor, and rain fell be
fore the prayers were ended. Overflow
ing with gratitude, a second day was set
apart for thanksgiving, and 1t was OBJ
served with so much earnestness that
the custom fastened with a warm hold
on the New England heart. 1t is be-
lieved that fully 225 years ago Thanks
giving had become so common in the
eastern states that it was regularly
appointed yearly holiday.
The accident that made the pumpkin
pie a conspicuous contributor to the
American Thanksgiving dinner is also
responsible for the turkey. When the
pioneer wanted meat he took down his
rifle and went to the forest to find it.
Wild turkeys. which are native Ameri-
can birds, abounded in the forests 300
years ago. and, it was as sure as dinner
time came that the turkey or nothing 10
speak of would be the roast fowl. The
custom esta blished has clung to the din
ner ever since. and nobody will say that
the turkey is not worthy of the part tha.
he asks in the feast. So cider came to
have its part in the dinner. Wines were
not easily obtainable. and cider could
be had with far less difficulty. 1t was
commoner to drink at the table when
our forefathers set the pattern Than it
is now, and cider became a frequenter
of the banquet. Good cider is still good
enough to hold its position although
even so simple a beverage as cider is
slowly losing its favor as the cold water
sentiment grows upon the country. Pos
siblv it is well, for cider when it attains
the proper degree of hilarity. is no bev-
erage for the man whose legs incline to
tangle easily.
No matter what its obscure origin. the
American Thanksgiving is our own
American day now, and, set in it's thor
oughly American surroundings, it is a
chief among all the happy days of the
year. May we all have opportunity and
reason to appreciate and share in many
of them.
A popularity of the day and the abuu
dant dinner that goes with it is that
while the holiday is American the din
ner Is American also. The roast beef of
England, the Scottish Christmas goose.
the fancy viands of the continental
countries have no place al the Thanks
giving feast. Staple and in front rank
is the turkey. f1anked by dish of Jersey
cranberries. Mashed potatoes. strictly
American, a rich corn pudding or some
times, it must be confessed, the plum
pudding adopted by the mother country.
and rounding out perfect bill of fare,
the yellow pumpkin pie. The pumpkin
pie, as we'll as all other pies of American
invention. which is not meant to include
that combination of everything that the
foreigner assemblies and calls meat pie,
and which is not in the pie class as we
make pics in this land of good victuals
and freedom. The pumpkin. as we'll as
the pie, Is American. Like the Indian
corn. the original inhabitant of the coun-
try depended upon it for subsistence be-
fore the white man intruded upon his
simple life. He planted it among his
hills of corn as the farmer does to this
day. With the pumpkin borrowed from
the Indian, and the Yankee ingenuity
that grew up with the New Highlander
forced to rely IN his inventive skill. the