The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1912-11-21

The idea of Thanksgiving day goes back to
remotsst antiquity 1t is part Of natural religion
and is probably old as 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
Luthers revolt from Rome in the sixteenth CEN
tury it had been observed by the Christians; and
after the reformation, thanksgiving days
In frequent use, by the Professionals especially
those of England
In old Egypt, when the harvest had been gath
creed 1t was the custom to observe day OF
feasting, and to lay offerings upon the affairs Of
Isis, the goddess of agriculture, The Jewish fes-
tival was the 'ingathering" or the feast of the
tabernacle" mentioned in Exodus and other parts
OF the Old Testament. This was more partcu-
larly thanksgiving for the fruit harvest and as
it 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 it was connected with the land and it's
possession, may have had Canaanitsh proto-
type. Its celebration was annual and each festi-
val continued through seven days At the begin
ming two vessels of silver were 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
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 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 was that Of the old Greeks, the
Thesmorpha. This was a feast to Demeter the
goddess of the harvest. It 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 ST.
nicholas says: Nov, this Is our way to the
Thaysia 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 1t 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 alludes
to the joyousness of the occasion.
IN one way or anOCneT, InanKSglVlng day naQ
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 was held on Sunday, the feast of ST. Ed
ward, the king and confessor. Such 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 1852 the second year Of
Elizabeths reign, Thanksgiving day entered Roga.
tiGn 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
regn, too, there was great national thanksgiv-
ing day that Is worthy Of note. This occurred on
Tuesday, Nov 49, 1893, and was in commemora-
ton Of the great victory the 'invncible
armada" 1t had been described by Ncol in his
Progress Of Queen Elizabeth" by Stowe, and by
some other contemporary writers. We are told
chat "the day was kept holy throughout the
realm, with sermons, singing of psalms bonlres,
etc, for JOY and thanksgiving unto God for the
overthrow of the Spaniards, our enemies, on the
sea; and the citiZeEs Of London in their liveries
that day had sermon at st. Pauls cross tending
to that end"
One legal and annual Thanksgiving day be-
cause of the long time it was such deserves spe
cal mention After the traitors in the gunpowder
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