Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1912-11-21

England, Edward Winslow has given US brief
account Of the festivities This letter bears the
date Of Dec II, 1921, and in it Winslow wrote:
Our harvest beige gotten in, our governor sent
four men on fOwlng that so might after spe-
cial manner rejoice together after we had gath
cred the fruits OF our labors They four killed
as much fowl with a little help beside served
the company ABOUT a week. At which times,
among other reCreatiOns, we exercised our arms,
many Of the Indians coming amongst US. and
among the resG their greatest king, Massasoyt
with some ninety men, whom for three days we
entertained ard feasted and they went out and
killed five deer, which they brought and be-
slowed on our governor and upon the captains
and others"
From other sources we know that there were
athletic contests besides the exercises of arms
which Wins%Ow mentioned No doubt they play
ed at ''stoDIbau" an old form OF crOquet, and
pitch ye llar," which Bradford mentions in his
Journal Tf3Te were no special religious services
at least there is evidence of any. The pill
grims had their daily prayers before breakfast.
In this service, and in the joyous spirit that
seems to have dominated the occasion as well,
there was, doubt a devout thanksgiving to
God for all the blessings he had vOuchsafed them.
It has been repeatedly asserted that this
Thanksgiving festival was suggested to the pill
grims by the Jewish feast Of ingathering." This
is not probable as the differences between them
are more striking than the Iihenesses. They We're
Of the same duration, each lasting a week; and
in common with all other harvest festivals they
had the same intent. But in the Jewish festival
sacrifice and worship were the prevailing char
acteristtcs, while in that of the pilgrims they
were entirely wanting
If the Plymouth festival has immediate kinshiE
with similar events in the past, it has anaIOgiea
with the harvest home of England which may
relate them. The pilgrims were familiar with the
English celebration and many of them, no doubt.
had participated in it. The dominant mark of
each was the joy over the ingathering harvest.
In some districts in England, too the festival had
continued a week. Richard Carew in his Sur
vey Of Cornwell,' in speaking Of the English fes-
tival, says: Neither doth good cheere wholly
expire Though it somewhat decrease) but with
the end of the weeke"
The chief difference between the two was the
want of ceremony at Plymouth that characterized
the English festival In some parts of England
the merry making was around the "nodding
sheaf," or kern baby" and in many places the
last load Of the harvest was drawn to the barn
in a wagon called the "hoch cart" In front went
pipe and tabor, and around it gathered the reap
ers, male and female singing joyously as they
proceeded. At Plymouth there was no ceremony.
The last shock of corn was not brought in Ear
Tayed in brilliant fnery.' Neither was there anv
blessing of the cart, or kissing of the sheaves
There was no harvest song so familiar in the
iatherland:
Here's health to the barley NOV
Here's a health to the man
Who very wen can
Both harrow and UIuW and SOW"