Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1912-11-27

a. and we must look elsewhere for 1t.
The idea OF Thanksgiving day goes back to
quity 1t is part OF natural religion.
& and is probably as old the human race 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
n Luther's revolt from Rome in the sixteenth cen
fury it had been observed ny the Christians; and
after the reformation Thanksgiving days We're
In FREQUENT use by the Protestants. especially
II those of England. 4
In old Egypt, when the harvest had been gath
creed, It was the custom to observe a day OF
feast1ng, and to lay offerings upon the affairs Of
Isis, the goddess of agriculture. The Jewish fes-
U tiyal was the "ingathering," the feast OF the
tabernacle" mentioned in Exodus and other parts
$sSof the Old Testament. This more particu-
a larly thanksgiving for the fruit harvest and 90
came at the close of the entire harvest 1t prob
ably was intended also a general thanksgiv-
ing ''for the bounty Of nature" in the year that
4 had passed. 3 ;$z$
aS This festival appears early in Jewish history
m and, as it was connected with the land and Its
81 possession, may have had Canaanitish proto-
type. Its celebration annual and each festi-
val continued through seven days. At the begin
II ming two vessels OF silver were carried in
sEceremonious manner to the temple, one full Of
h water, the other of wine, which were poured at
the foot Of the altar of burnt offerings always on
y the seventh day Of the festival"
5S#3 Plutarch describes this ceremonial which he
aa believed was feast to Bacchus He says: 1.-THE
Jews celebrated two feasts to Bacchus. In the
III midst of the vintage they spread tables, spread
with all manner of fruits and live in tabernacles
Il made especially Of palms and ivy wreaths to-.
gether.&E "a few days later they kept
other festival which was openly dedicated to
1. gacchus, for they carried boughs Of palms in
+ their hands, with which they went into the tenn.
q pie, the Levtes going before with instruments OF
music" III
Analogous to the Jewish festival and possibly
n borrowed from 1t was that of the old Greeks, the
ii Thesmorphia This was feast to Demeter. the
n 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 1t in the Seventh Idyl, where 81
Il 5michidas says Now. this Is our way to the
u Thalysia, for our friends in sooth. are making
A 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
5a8 thrashing floor with barley"
i$ss$s The goddess Of the Roman harvest was Ceres
b Her festival was celebrated annually and was
n called Cerala. 1t was day for worship and
rustic sports. Men and women formed process
hi sions and went to the fields with music Virgil
refers to this festival. He mentions the sacri-
#dces that offered in the temples and alludes
Ito the joyousness of the occasion.
$fE In one way or another Thanksgiving day had
been observed in Christian Europe for centuries
# before it's celebration In New England. On the
continent, and for time in England%it occurred
III at Martinmas, which was day Of feastng and
n drinking. Occasionally too, civil authorities
"a recommended the observance Of some fixed day
To celebrate the victory OF King Henry V. of Eng
M land at Agincourt, Oct. Is, 1415, public thanks
III giving was held on Sunday, the feast of st. Ed
ward the king and confessor. Such day, too
was observed in Leyden Holland. Oct 3, 1875, the
II nrst anniversary Of that city from the siege by
81 the Spanards. 4 E g
3$5 Many instances Of thanksgiving days be
pointed out in England during the sixteenth aud
seventeenth centuries In 1859, the second year OF
N Elizabeth's reign Thanksgiving day entered Roga-
5tion day. Then It ordered that thanks should
N be given to Almighty God "for the increase and
"a 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. 10, 1888, and was in commemora-
u ton Of the great victory the 'fnvincble
armada" It had been described by Nicol in his
Al Progress of Queen Elizabeth" by Stowe. and by
n some other contemporary writer's. We are told
B that "the day was kept holy throughout the
i realm, with sermons singing Of psalms, bonfrest
NJ etc, for JOY and thanksgiving unto God for the
II overthrow of the Spaniards our enemies. on the
sea: and the citizens of London in their liveries
VI that day had sermon at st. Pauls cross tending
to that end"
t##g One legal and annual Thanksgiving day be-
cause Of the long time 1t was such deserves spe-
cial mention. After the traitors in the gunpowder