New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-21
THE THANKSGIVING SERVICE
HOW AND WHY 1T HAS SUNK INTO
GENERAL DISUSE.
.c.v TT BE RESTORED AGAIN TO PoP'bAiiii
CHANGED CONDITIONS THAT Mosl
RE RIG ARDED.

I
CHANGED CONDITIONS THAT Musl
BE REGARDED.
Thanksgiving Day falls next week THURSDAY. ana
preparations are making 20 observe II III h,uo 'i'e
| usual fashion Churches combine as ru'e' vi !"
| neighborhood system .u
The services at these union meeuhss INV" 4"
prelty rigid conventionality. Ihere u ol'eh sum-
attempt at appropriate decoration lrequ'"''! '"'o
=, a harvest anthem rendered. and the sermon Is
on some theme suggested ny the DAY IL IL as
sumed also that the discourse honors 'he u"! ny
being Of unusual length.
The attendance on these exercises Is he"7''"S
meagre especially in the cities. Out Oh u" NJ
million population in Greater NeW-AoiN' II Is
liberal estimate to say that thirty thousand OF
ner cort % tho nopuIation will attend public wor-
Chi, II .bo weather is unfavorable, not over haIi
that number would attend church
There are many reasons for the practicai disuse
OF THANKSGIVING Day as a religious lestlNai' says
"The Church Economist" number OF theSe may
he considered with a view of getting at inc i"c'S
and perhaps applying remedy ohe redSoh' u"-
ouestionaby. is the great depression III puS'',o
pious people Will admit theoretically that 'i'cE
have all the great reasons for thanKlulneSS' va,
actually few people are In happy anu '"d"hi"'
mood They may have all the great BLESSINGS p"'
they are tormented because they are oenieo 'he
little ones To many service OF thankseVlhs
seems almost a mockery. and they resent the very
suggestion.
A second reason is the trend OF the times against
a Puritan drectness and simplicity OF church ser
vice TIE Thanksgiving Day service Is generh"!
voted q bore The sermon Is long. ana the otheT
exercses lack the element of interest IN this re-
gard Thanksgiving might take lesson from christ
mas Here we have a festival when the churcneS
are crowded and the people deeply Interested ."
Ing chiefly 70 the fact that 1t is the climax oil lhe
wear in the choir music; at least II divides tle
crown with Easter
THE PRAISE SERVICE OF The lhAH'
Nv rights. this pre-eminence should belong 10
the Thanksgiving service. 1t Is specihca"H INV
nraise service of the year. and We should expect
therefore, that the music IN the churches on TINS
day should touch the highcs: point. Were TINS the
case we should undoubtedly see great chdhse Il"
the churchgoing SO long, however. as the service
retains the traditions OF the old New hhEIanu
meetinE-hous it must be content 10 At'lAc' " nm
tied attendance.
One rather curious reason should be noticed Tor
II is one OF considerable Importance. This may ne
called the rivalry Of the Harvest Home or raAylhs
services In England the harvest service has be
come a marked feature both In the established
Church and among the Noncomformiss. ana we
ara feeling the influence of this custom in America
Nearly all the EpsI opal churches when MAKE d
and many other churches are getting into ths way
Of having sort Of reunion and housewarnins,
With more or less harves, features growing natu-
rally Of the season OF the year. ihese idiS
days. harvest homes, rocalls, reunions or whal
autumn my ineathering and festal reunion. and make
the muped Within the last few
years. and their popularity must be considered as "
There is another reason for non-attendance which
may have a create. influence than many suspect;
to 20 to church by tho civil power. For one day IN
the year We have quasi.u Of s Sheach anu
hose who would emphasize such union. and
who esk to Of e y Sy pe way S EF
perhaps not bad sign tina; people take pans not
TO 20 10 church on the one day In me year wheh
thev are told 10 DO so By the President and Gov
ernor.
"RoUGH-AND.TUMBLE' DAY.
An obvious reason for non-attendaace is the secu-
lar tendency which fees 10 sport and relaxation
the moment that the pressure OF trade and ambi
ton is relaxed. Thanksgiving Day is rapidly be-
coming day OF outdoor sports and frocs. par
ticulariy those Of a rougher sort In this respee
e Say Is feG' Of fss mae
thai day has been assuming more spiritual quail
tains its place of honor. with It's incidental family
and social reunions. Even here. however. any
vaporated unless il be that the blessing II one
is had at all is little longer and more elaborate
But enough Of da s Now s. /, possible 70
ION mlsht ASK Ii5si; Should MOI as das b;
November was chosen because the farming com
munity leisure. but In the altered conditions
81 iDsiey iRe G@{ w e re- iS Srus 81 e
peted season. The date has no longer any appro;
priateness. and moreover the greatly increased
interest in Christmas has made Thanksgiving Day
seem almost like an intruder on the Christmas sea
son. All choirs, for example. are already hard AT
work on their Christmas music ana all Sunday
schools are equa ) busy preparing their exercises
II Thanksgiving Is to retain its traditional In
portance AS harvest festival. II should be placed
In October. II would then be away from the rivalry
OF Christmas. and could easily be made the date
when the harvest reunions OF the church should
come. This simple change would certainly do much
20 restore the pristine Importance OF Thanksgiving
Day.
If at the same time the exercises could taLe IN
the more social features which mark the
church and Sunday school reunions Of early fall
there would be further rehabilitation of the day
MOVE UPTOWN BY 4 PHO ELRM