Daily public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1892-191?, 1912-11-23

ana We must look elsewhere TOT IL
The idea of Thanksgiving day goes back to
remotast antiquity 1t is part of natural religion.
and is probably as old as the human In
written records have ample evidence that the
festival celebrated in connection with the
fruits Of the earth by the ancient Egyptians, the
Jews the Greeks, and the Romans Long before
I.uthers revolt from Rome in the sixteenth cen.
fury it had been observed by the Christians; and
after the reformation, thanksgiving days were
IN frequent use by the Professionals, especially
those of England
In old Egypt when the harvest had been gath
creed, 1t the custom to observe a day OF
feastng, and to lay offerings upon the affairs Of
Isis the goddess of agriculture. The Jewish fes-
tval was the 'ingathering," or the feast of the
tabernacle" mentioned in Exodus and other parts
of the Old Testament This was more partcu-
iarly thanksgiving for the fruit harvest and as
it came at the close Of the entire harvest 1t prob
ably was intended also as general thanksgiv-
ing for the bounty Of nature" In the year that
had passed
~ Thls festival appears early in jewish history
#and AS It connected with the land and its
possession may have had a Canaanitish proto-
ttype. Its celebration was annual and each festi-
wal continued through seven days At the begin
ming two vessels Of silver were carried in n
ceremonous manneri to the temple, one full of
water the s-ther of wine, which poured at
-,Ie nUOt Of We altar of burnt offerings always on
the seventh day of the festival"
Putarch describes this ceremonial which he
believed a 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 tabernaces
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 it that of the old Greeks, the
Thesmcrphia. This a feast to Demeter the
goddess of the harvest. 1t lasted nine days and
c6nsista Sc sacrifices Of the products of the soil
with obatons> CT wine, MIX and honey" Theo-
critus refers to IT In M Seventh Idyl where ST.
nicholas says; Nov, this is our way to the
malaysia 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
thrashng floor with barley"
The goddess of the Roman harvest was Ceres.
Her festival celebrated annually and was
called Ceralia 1t was a day for worship and
rustic sports Men and women formed process
sons and went to the fields with music. Virgil
refers to this festival He mentions the sacrl-
fees that offered in the temples and alludes
20 the 1oyousness Of the occasion.
In one way or 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 feastlng and
drinking Occasionally, too civil authorities
+. AecofnIpended the observance Of some fixed day.
To celebrate the victory OF King Henry V. of Eng.
land at Agncourt, Oct 25, 1915. public thanks
giving was held on Sunday, the feast OF St. Ed
ward, the king and confessor. Such day. too,
observed in Leyden. Holland, Oct. g. 1875, the
first anniversary OF that city from the siege By
the Spaniards
ANY instances of thanksgiving days can be
ted out in England during the sixteenth and
lteenth centuries. In 1852 the second year Of
eth's reign, Thanksgiving day entered Roga-
v. Then It ordered that thanks should
n to Almighty God ''for the increase and
ce of his fruits upon the earth" In this
o. there great national thanksgiv-
Nov 49, 1883, and In commemora-
the great victory the "invincible
IA" IL had been described by Nicol in his
ress OF Queen Elizabeth" by Stowe, and by
other contemporary writer's. We are told
t'the day was kept holy throughout the
n. with sermons. singing of psalmS bonfres,
'or JOY and Thanksgiving unto God for the
ow Of the spaniards, enemies, on the
! the citizens OF London in their liveries
had a sermon at St Pauls cross tending
I'd"
gal and annual Thanksgiving day be-
tie long time Il such deserves spe
ton. After the traitors in the gunpowder