The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-11-25

Thanksgiving DAY as IL IL now Cele'
brated is a composite OF the ancient
harvest festival, whose origins go back
to the dim pre-historical beginnings
of civilization, and of the solemn Pur-
itan religious ceremony of t~hanksgtv-
ing. The JOYOUS celebration OF the
gathering of the years harvest. a day
or week OF Teasing, song. dance and
revel, is found in all ages and among
all peoples. Thanksgiving days are
also common to all religions. past and
present. but they were not regular or
periodical events-occurring generally
after some victory Of a The Pur-
itans and the Pilgrims brought with
them from England both the harvest
festival and the Thanksgiving days;
the latter being observed whenever
the deeply religious mind OF the Puri,
tan saw in their prosperity or good
fortune the direct intervention of
Providence. The Puritan also stripped
the ancient harvest festival of much
Of its rude license that had grown up
around the celebration In England.
and gradually through the two e n
turtles following the settlement Of New
England, there grew up the practice
of combining the two events and maxi
ing the Thanksgiving annual. The re-
ligious element has been greatly sub
ordinated as the years passed until at
the present time 1t Is to a majority OF
Americans only an incident that by
many is observed only In the breach.
To the stern old Puritan Of almost
three centuries ago.. the Thanksgiving
day of 1912 would seem little less than
a sacrilege SO far as the Thanksgiving
feature of it is concerned. But he
would understand and appreciate the
days feasting and revel as a part Of
the celebration of the harvest festi-
val. The difference Is apparent in the
records Of the early settlement Of
America. The first thanksgiving serv-
ice held in North America was OBJ
served with religious ceremonies con
Quoted by an English minister in the
year 1873 on the shores Of Newfound-
land. This clergyman. accompanied
the expedition under Frobisher. who
settled the first English colony in
America. The records of this signifi-
quaint rules and regulations of the ex-
petition as follows:
I'm primus: To Danish swearing.
dice and card playing. and filthy COM
m%unication. and 70 serve God twice a
day with the ordinary service Of the
Church of England. On Monday morn
ing. May %, 1873, aboard the Ayde.
We received all. the communication by
the minister of Gravesend. prepared
as good christians toward God. and
resolute men for all fortunes: . .
and Master Folfall made unto US a
goodbye sermon. exhorting all espe.
cially to be thankful to God for His
strange and marvellous deliverance in
those dangerous places"
The second record of a thanksgiving
service in America is that Of the Pop.
ham colony which settled at Sagada-
o on The Maine coast in 1907. II
consisted of prayer and sermon as In
the first instance. These were thanks.
giving days pure and simple. and after
the settlement of Plymouth many 9th.
ers Of a similarly solemn religious ma.
ture occurred.
The first harvest festival held in
America was upon December 10, 1921
1t has been called. wrongly. the frs,
autumnal Thanksgiving held in Amer.
lea. blu it was in reality the observ.
ance of the harvest festival, with
which the settlers had been acquaint,
ed in England. 1t was o a day Sc,
apart for religious worship and it is
not likely hat any religious service
was held; on the contrary, it was the
beginning Of a whole week of festiv.
ity in celebration of the successful
garnering of their first harvest il
their new home. Quantity doe!
Mounts Relation" chronicle tn,
Eel
Our harvest being gotten in. oul
governour sent foure mel on fowling
that SO we might after q more special
manner rejoyce together, after we hat
gathered the fruit Of u labours
they foure in one day killed as mucl
fowle. AS with a little helpe beside
at which time amongst other Recrea
lions. We exercised u armies, man,
OF the Indians coming amongst lis
and amongst the rest Of their creates
King Massasoyt. with some nineti
men. whom for three days we enter
tanned and feasted. and they went GU
and killed deere. which they brough
to the plantation and bestowed upo,
the captaine, and others. And al
though 1t be not alwayes so plentiful
as It was at this time with US, We
by the goodness of God, We are s
farre from want. that we often wis
you partakers of u plentie."
While the bill of fare of this frs
american celebration of the harves
festival has not been preserved tn
feast was no doubt a royal one eve
II some of the food and the method
OF preparation would seem strang
and %outlandish to present day Amer
cans. The provisions must have bee
bountiful for there were about IA
persons including the ninety of Mas
sasoits company who were entertain
ed for three days. and all had thci
share Of supplies. From other source
We know that the foods of the Sc
were abundant and that the Pilgrim
had made the acquaintance Of tn
oyster. Ducks they had in plenty &