The citizen., 1913-11-21

~ THANKSGIVING DAY has long
and curious history and did not
originate entirely with the Pill
grims at Plymouth for Thanksgiv-
oG&4ga. ing days are mentioned In the Bi-
GB@@NESS4o ble-days set apart for giving
Sy \ B thanks to God for some special
az " mercy These days Of fast and
vs. k&5 prayer we're customary in England
'@N' before the Reformation, and later
che Protesants appointed certain days Of praise
and thanks for various blessings. The discov-
cry OF the Gunpowder Plot in 1905 in London
brought the common sentiment OF Thanksgiving.
scheme had been formed to blow up parla'
ment house on the 5th of November, the first
day Of the session. Great quantities Of gunpow-
der and infammabe material were found con-
eealed In the vaults underneath the building. The
plot discovered and the traitors were exc
cuted In consequence OF this deliverance the
day was ordered to be kept as "a public thanks
giving to Almighty God" every year that "un-
feigned thankfulness may never be forgotten, and
that all ages to come may yield praises to Gods
divine majesty for the same" All ministers were
ordered to say prepers thereon, for which special
forms provided This annual thanksgiving,
together with one established later May 20,
abolished In 1888 in England for both had
fallen into disuse. For several years afterwards,
however. these days were recognized in New
England by the Episcopal church account of
continued to have special days appointed for Civ.
ting thanks. and recently 1872. there was
day selected for the public to offer prayers Of
thanksgiving for the recovery of the late King
Edward. then prince Of Wales, from typhoid
fever.
The first thanksgiving on the American conti-
nent held by English minister named
Wolfall and celebrated off the coast of New
Soundland This pious accompanied the
Frobisher expedition which brought the first Eng
Iish colony to North America. The log of the
chip gives the record of the days observances
and tells how on Monday, May 2S, 1878, aboard
the Ayde the men received communion and how
Minister Wofall in sermon gave humble and
hearty thanks to God for his miraculous deliver
ance in these dangerous places. This the
first Christian sermon preached in North Ameri-
can waters. Again in 1907 there was a similar
service held at Sagadahoc-a little village
the coast of Maine. There is little record of
This thanksgiving except that 1t consumed only
few hours Of the day, after which the people
returned to their labors.
The great American Thanksgiving day had its
origin in the Massachusetts colony in 1921 and
Gov William Bradford, the first governor Of that
little band of sturdy pilgrims, sent out the first
Thanksgiving proclamation setting apart a day
for prayer and rejoicing over the plenteous har-
vest of that year The Englishmen recalled their
Guy Fawkes Thanksgiving, and the Dutch remem-
bered hearing their ancestors speak of the great
day of praise and prayer held at Leyden, Hol-
land. in 1878, when that city delivered from
siege. So the entire colony began their pious
preparation for what proved to be the gayest
Thanksgiving the colony knew. for after
Che first one, which lasted several days, the
Puritan Thanksgiving meant long sermons, long
prayers and long faces. Governor Bradford de-
termlned that the initial Thanksgiving should be
celebrated with no little ceremony and that
should a in hp
tory tells us that he sent out four men who
were TO search for game for the feast. Many
fowls were shot--in fact. enough to meet the
wants of the colony for a week. Wild turkeys
Bredominated it seems that the turkey made
It's appearance early In the history of Thanks
giving. The day selected was December 13 told
stylej. At the dawn of that day a small cannon
fired from the hill and a procession was
formed near the beach. close to where the
Plymouth Rock now rests Elder Brewster wear.
ing his ministerial garb and carrying the Bible
fed the procession as it moved solemnly along
the street Ths men walked three abreast with
Governor Bradford In the rear There was a
Tong service in the meeting house. and after It
was over there dinner-and such din
uer had never been known in the colony for
apart from the sa7ory turkey and other wild
fowl the had done their share in pro-
viding good things from the limited supply at
their command The most dramatic incident oc.
Cured when the dinner in progress for as
ii by magic 80 friendly red men, under King
Massasoit appeared carrying launches of veni
son as an addition to the feast Thanksgiving
day soon heightened into days for the psalm
singing and feastng. interspersed with war
dances. we're continued several days.
After that Thanksgiving days took on a differ
ent aspect. and occurred at any season; some.
times twice year, sometimes year or two