The Elbert County tribune., 1912-11-22


and must look elsewhere for It,
The idea of Thanksgiving day goes back to
remotest antiquity. 1t is part of natural religion
and is probably old the human In
written records we 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
tury 1t had been observed by the Christians; and
after the reformation, thanksgiving days we're
In frequent use by the Protestants. especially
those of England
In old Egypt when the harvest had been gath
creed 1t was the custom to observe day or
feasting and to lay offerings upon the affairs OF
Isis. the goddess of agriculture. The Jewish fes
tivai was the "ingatharing," the feast of the
tabernacle" mentioned In Exodus and other parts
OF the Old Testament. This more partcu-
larly thanksgiving for the fruit harvest and as
1t came at the close of the entire harvest 1t prob.
ably was intended also 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 its
possession. may have had Canaanitish proto
type. Its celebration was annual and each festi
val continued through days. At the begin
ming two vessels of silver carried in a
ceremonious 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 day OF the festival"
Plutarch describes this ceremonial which he
DeieVeu was 1east 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
hnr yad frOyv nj of tba<
Thesmorphia. This YVES feast to Demeter the
goddess of the harvest. It lasted nine days and
consisted of sacrifices of the products Of the soil
with obations of wine, milk and honey" Theo-
critus refers to 1t In the Seventh Idyl. where ST.
mchidas 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 bounteors 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. 1t day for worship and
rustic sports. Men and women formed process
sfons and went to the fields with music. Virgil
refers to this festival. He mentions the sacri-
nces that were offered in the temples and alludes
to the joyousness OF the occasion.
In way another Thanksgiving day had
been observed in Christian Europe for centuries
before its celebration In New England. On the
continent, and for time In England. 1t occurred
at Martinmas, which was day of feasting and
drinking. Occasionally too. civil authorities
recommended the observance of some fixed day.
To celebrate the victory of King Henry v. of Eng
land at Agincourt. Oct 25. 1415 public thanks
giving held on Sunday. the feast Of ST. Ed
ward. the king and confessor Such day. too.
was observed in Leyden Holland Oct. 8. 1875, the
Hrst anniversary Of that city from the siege by
the Spaniards.
Many instances of thanksgiving days be
pointed out in England during the sixteenth and
seventeenth centuries. In 1852 the second year of
Elizabeth's reign. Thanksgiving day entered Roga-
tion day. Then It 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 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 Nico in his
Progress OF Queen Elizabeth" by Stowe and by
some other contemporary writer's. We told
that "the day was kept holy throughout the
realm with sermons. singing Of psalms. bonfires
skn. for JOY and Thanksgiving unto God for the
overthrow of the Spaniards. enemies. the
sea: and the citizens of London In their liveries
that day had a sermon at st. Paul's cross tending
TO that end"
One legal and annual thanksgiving day be-
cause of the long time It such deserves spe-
oiaI mention. After the traitors in the gunpowder