The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1913-11-25
DAYS OF PAST THANKSGIVING

OAIo VI AAoA
Thanksgiving IS generally believed
10 have commenced with the advent
Of the Pilgrim fathers. and therefore
a legacy to MS from New England
But when the true facts IN the ease
come to light we find that Thanks
giving day was first celebrated by
Popham colonists at Michigan, who
Joined in "Giving God thanks for
their safe arrival and many blessings
in the ritual laid down in the Thanks
giving service of the Church of Eng
land PRAYER book, II is known with
what a~ntipathv the early Puritans re
garded any and all Of the holy days
of the English church and the eele-
bration Of such was sternly forbidden
in New England.
How many of u know that DAYS
for giving thanks were set apart in
Europe long before the reformation
and were observed by the Church of
England many years before the Pill
grims landedf
The first Thanksgiving in this
country was not set apart as a day
of religious observance. but for rec
r~eation. On December IL, 1921. Ed
ward Winslow wrote home TO Eng
land the following very quaint ae
count of the weeks program:
"Our harvest being gotten in. our
governor sent four men out fowling
so we might IN a special manner re-
joiee together after we had gathered
the fruits OF our labor. The four
killed so much fowl that with a little
help served the company about a
week. Among other reereations were
exercises with our arms Many Of
the Indians came amongst us and
sasoit with some ninety men. whom
we for three DAYS Toasted and enter
tanned. They went out and killed
deer. which they brought in and be
slowed on our governor. upon the
captains and others
So we get a good idea OF the hos
pitality offered in those DAYS We
learn. too. from Governor Bradford,
that wild turkeys were plentiful. so
we feel a reasonable assurance that
the turkey has a long and ancient
lineage and prestige not 10 be usurp-
ed by any other bird on our Thanks
giving day platter.
Only ffty-fve English speaking
people sat down to the first Thanks
dav feast. but the addition of the In
dams made a goOdly company for
whom the poor. lonely and homesiek
women prepared their dinner. There
were only four Of them, with one ser
want "and a few young maidekins."
There is no record to be found of any
religious worship during this week Of
feasting.
In 1s2s the second Thanksgiving
day was ordered and observed BY the
Pilgrim fathers Early Thanksgiv.
ings are not always celebrated in No
vember nor upon Thursday, and it Is
not until 1877 that we find the first
printed Thanksgiving proclamation,
now owned by the Massachusetts His
torieal society. 1t is interesting to
note that since 1862 the president OF
the United States has set the last
Thursday in November to be observ-
ea as a day of thanksgiving. And
barking back to Pilgrim days. what
a vast difference Compare the bar
vest then and the harvest now.
Whether our forefathers were ever
actually reduced to the traditional
FIVE grains Of corn each, is a fact not
decided by history, but it is true that
they returned thanks for the most
meage fare and endured the most
grinding hardships without a murmur.
Like our forhears we make Of the day
a great time for feasting and games
and not 50 much of church going. 1t
is a day for family reunions and a
day Of abundant opportunity for
making a cause of Thanksgiving in
the "other fellows" hear.-Pub-
fishers Auxiliary.