The Citizen. [volume] (American Fork, Utah) 1903-1912, 1908-11-28

day opened In this water.ocked land with great
ringing of bells and over every shining doorsill
there stepped into the crisp morning air the house
holds full number Each Hans Gretchen, clasp
Ing IA silverbound prayer book, walked sedatey 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 was
a general scamperng of young feet in game or
dance and Gathering OF older tongues In friendly
gossip as neighbor visited neighbor or father wei
coined his large flock OF grandchildren.
The great event OF this Dutch Thanksgiving day
was dinner at which was served as central dish
a queer stew of meat and vegetables which they
called Spanish hodgepodge, For once In their prac
teal lives the Hollanders became facetious, and
this hodge.pod they made merry and cracked
jokes at their oldtme enemy-Spain The general
"hashlike" appearance OF the hodge podge was sup
posed to represent the condition Of the Spanish
army when the Dutch had yanquished IT, Even
the children entered into the fun and kept their
history fresh by gleefuly slashing into potato or
"A turnip and chucklng as they swallowed the NOR.
sells, This is General Soand'So-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 OI lne winch HdNOfed IL, tney
entered most heartily into the Dutch Thanksgiy.
ing OF October 3. In 1923 these Pilgrims held DC.
tober as a 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.
smanac. fixed or movable which has had the strug
gle for existence that our 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 coonists 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
apace and nothing was heard OF the ship The
colonists were nearly disheartened when on Feb.
ruary 22, 1881 the Lyon was sighted, aud the gov.
ordered that the day be given over to feast.
ing and thanksgiving. This Is the first written
record OF a Thanksgiving day In Boston; Il can
still be found in the Colonial Records OF Massachu
sets II is an interesting fact that this first Bos
ton Thanksgiving was held on what is now one OF
most patriotic holidays. Washington's birthday
The first record OF Joint celebration OF Thanks
giving day is given In the Colonial Records of 1882
when Gov. Winthrop OF Massachusetts bay asked
the governor u Plymouth colony to join him in is.