Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1912-11-22

and must look elsewhere for 1t.
The idea of Thanksgiving day goes back to
remotest antiquity 1t is part of natural religion.
and is probably old the human race. In
written records have ample evidence that the
festival was celebrated in connection with the
fruits of the earth by the ancient Egyptians the
Jews the Greeks, and the Romans. Long before
Luthers revolt from Rome In the sixteenth cen
tury 1t had been observed by the Christians and
after the reformation, thanksgiving days were
IN frequent use by the Protestants, especially
these of England
In old Egypt, when the harvest had been gath
creed, 1t was the custom to observe a day OF
feasting, and to lay offerings upon the affairs of
isis the goddess OF agriculture. The Jewish fes-
tival was the 'fngathering," or the feast of the
tabernacle" mentioned in Exodus and other parts
of the Old Testament. This was more particu-
arly thanksgiving for the fruit harvest and as
1t came at the close Of the entire harvest 1t prob
ably was intended also as a general thanksgiv~
ing for the bounty of nature" In the year that
had passed
This festival appears early In Jewish history
and, as 1t was connected with the land and It's
possession, may have had a Canaanitish proto-
type. Its celebration annual and each festi-
val continued through seven days. At the begin
ming two vessels OF silver were carried In a
eeremonious manner to the temple, one full of
water, the other of wine, which were poured at
the foot of the altar of burnt offerings, always on
the Seventh uay OF the FESTIVAL
Plutarch describes this ceremonial which he
believed was feast to Bacchus He says "The
Jews celebrated two feasts to Bacchus. In the
midst of the vintage they spread tables, spread
with all manner of fruits and live in tabernacles
made especially of palms and ivy wreaths to-
gether. few days later they kept an
other festival which was openly dedicated to
Bacchus, for they carried boughs of palms In
their hands, with which they went into the tenn
pie, the Levites going before with instruments of
music"
Analogous to the Jewish festival and possibly
borrowed from 1t -ras that of the old Greeks the
Thesmorphia. This feast to Demeter the
goddess of the harvest. 1t lasted nine days and
consisted of sacrifices OF the products of the soil
with oblations of wine milk and honey" Theo-
critus refers to it In the Seventh Idyl where ST
nicholas says: Now this is our way to the
Thalysia for our friends, in sooth are making
feast to Demeter of the beautiful robe offering
the first fruits of their abundance, since for them
In bounteous manner the goddess has piled the
thrashing floor with barley
The goddess of the Roman harvest was Ceres
Her festival was celebrated annually and was
called Ceralia. II was day for worship and
rustic sports. Men and women formed process
sions and went to the fields with music Virgil
refers to this festival He mentions the sacri-
fees that were offered in the temples and aludes
to the joyousness of the occasion.
In one way OF another Thanksgiving day had
been observed In Christian Europe for centuries
before its celebration in New England. On the
continent, and for a time in England, 1t occurred
at Martinmas, which was a day of feastng and
drinking Occasionally. too civil authorities
recommended the observance of some fixed day.
To celebrate the victory of King Henry " of Eng
land at Agincourt, Oct Is, 1915 public thanks
giving held Sunday the feast of St Ed
ward, the king and confessor. Such a day too
was observed in Leyden, Holland. Oct g. 1875, the
first anniversary of that city from the siege by
the Spaniards.
Many instances of thanksgiving days can be
pointed out in England during the sixteenth and
seventeenth centuries. In 1862 the second year of
Elizabeths reign, Thanksgiving day entered Roga-
| ton day Then 1t was ordered that thanks should
/ be given to Almighty God for the increase and
abundance of his fruits upon the earth" In this
reign, too, there was a great national thanksgiv-
Ing day that is worthy of note. This occurred on
| Tuesday. Nov. 49, 1888 and was in commemora.
ton of the great victory over the "invincible
| armada" 1t had been described by Nicol In his
Progress of Queen Elizabeth" by Stowe and by
some other contemporary writer's. We are told
that the day was kept holy throughout the
realm. with sermons, singing Of psalms bonfres.
SIC, for Joy and thanksgiving unto God for the
overthrow OF the Spaniards. cur enemies on the
sea; and the citizens of London in their liveries
mat day had sermon at ST. Paul's cross tending
to that end"
: One legal and annual THANKSGIVING day he
cause of the long time 1t was such deserves spe.
e'q mention. After the traitors in the e1,nnor3ar