The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1908-11-20

day opened in this Water-lOcked land with great
ringing Of bells and over every shining doorsl
there stepped into the crisp morning air the house
holds full number. Each Hans Gretchen, clasp
ing silverbound prayer book. walked sedately to
the various, places Of worship and there lifting up
their sweet Holland voices. harsh perhaps, in
speech. but full and round in song, sent up musical
praise for the freedom of their land and the good
things of the earth
Church over, the entire population for the nonce
broke through their usual stolidness and there
a general scampering Of young feet in game
dance and a Gathering of older tongues In friendly
gossip neighbor visited neighbor or a father well
coined his large flock of grandchildren
The great event Of this Dutch Thanksgiving day
was dinner at which served as central dish
a queer stew of meat and vegetables which they
called Spanish hodge podge. For once in their prac
tical lives the Hollanders became facetious, and
over this hodge podge they made merry and cracked
Jokes at their old-time enemy-Spain. The general
"hash-like" appearance of the hodge podge sup
posed to represent the condition Of the Spanish
army when the Dutch had vanquished 1t. Even
the children entered into the fun and kept their
history fresh by gleefully slashing into potato
a turnip and chuckling they swallowed the NOR
sells. This is General SoandSo-ah! Me eat him
so!"
Well the Puritans heartily approved of the early
religious services Of the morning and their healthy
appetites could not fail to appreciate the Spanish
hodge -podge however much they may have dis
approved of the sentiment which favored it, SO they
entered most heartily into the Dutch Thanksgv.
ing Of October g. In 1923 these Pilgrims held Oc-
tober as day Of Thanksgiving in the New World,
and here we have our first true American Thanks
giving day.
This day has passed through many vicissitudes
since that date. There is not festival on the al.
manac. fixed or movable which has had the strug
gle for existence that November holiday has
endured
From 1923 until 1880 Thanksgiving day was held
in America in various months some of the Pilgrims
keeping to October and other colonists holding
different day by order Of the governor
In 1880 the people Of Massachusetts, were suffer.
ing for food and clothing and Gov. Winthrop hired
the good ship Lyon to return to England for sup
plies. For many days the vessel lay stranded on
the Isle of Shoals, but finally put out Winter came
on apace, and nothing was heard Of tiss ship The
colonists were nearly disheartened whcn on Feb
ruary %. 1881, the Lyon sighted and the GOV.
ernor ordered that the day be given over to feast
ing and thanksgiving. This is the first written
record OF a Thanksgiving day in Boston; it can
still be found in the Colonial Records of Massachu.
sets. 1t is an interesting fact that this first Bos.
ton Thanksgiving was held what is now one OF
our most patriotic holidays. Washington's birthday
The first record Of a joint celebration of Thanks.
giving day is given In the Colonial Records of 1882
when Gov Winthrop Of Massachusetts bay. asked
the governor Of Plymouth colony to Join him in is