Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1913-11-20
Thanksgiving Day Be-
comes Secular Holiday
By HENRY M. WING, Boston, Mas.

small company of settlers came together with a fairly unanimous swelling
OF hearts in gratitude to the Divine Providence of their belief. All we're
probably present or accounted for, and never was congregation more in
accord. Its members felt alike, thought alike and expressed themselves in
the same grave WAYS.
In its conception and the response which it awke the first Thanks
giving day was no doubt a religious event; its feelings and aspirations were
those OF religious emoion-as distinguished by psychologists nowadays
from the lucubrahons of the intellectual or nationalist point of view. And
so very likely the day continued to be celebrated for several seasons in a
manner perfectly valid because spontaneous and inevitable.
Later on, had some forcefuL, optimistic deacon carried the motion that
on that day Thanksgiving should be expressed in a program of foot races
for youth, tableaux and competitive exhibitions of needlework for maidens,
and for grown-ups a free and open public debate on the new tendencies of
thought among them, witches and Quakers admitted, Divine Providence
would have smiled upon them no less for a pleasing offspring of society.
Now that Thanksgiving day has become for most people a secular holt
day, and the idea of a divine favoritism has lost its appeal to the magma
ton, feelings and forces of men, it might be of advantage to those who
would employ it seriously TO use the day in intelligent consideration of
those natural resources and Of measures to insure their just use. Intensive
farmers, liberal congresses of religions and experts of industrial education
need not hesitate to call conferences for that day for want Of intrinsic
fitness and propnety.
Thinking and doing with open mind in the fullest exercise of mans
nature, not with faculties focused on the sentiment of a tradition, is the
modern conception of virtue and pnty-incdentally of thanksgiving, and
it is deemed advisable to balance the account with natural laws, charging
a profit and loss, oftener than once a year, whether it be a question of indi-
vidual or social and cooperative action. By the new rule Thanksgiving
days are days of intelligent doing in work or enjoyment, and they cannot
be appointed in advance. Journalism in such matters commits mems minds
to the foeAA, but not to the substance, and has a tendency to exclude the
substance of things as they are, which must always be the basis of things
wished for.
At present Thanksgiving day means less than any of our holidays,
because certain of its forms have outved the spirit of their observance,
and yet prevent many normal and healthy uses of the time, as not fong
ago a fictitious public opinion, which did not exist in fact, but was enforced
by the police caused the majority of people to yegetate every seventh day.
Every tradition finally arrives at a falow stage, whereupon people
begin to look for something better suited to their needs. The present fea-
lures of Thanksgiving day-ate rising, overeating and promscuous
theatergoing (srce not all the good plays can be in town that day.,
with an occasional family reunion Is an extenuatng circumstance-are
indications that in this case the answer is not yet found.
The question really is, as to what are the just uses of lesure-of a
holiday. They will not be the same for all people, and if various classes
haven't solved the question to their complete satisfaction, it is to be noted
that in this over-busy world leisure for its own sake or for the opportunity
to choose ones own work or enjoyment il a comparatively new tradition.
The question is being solved in proportion to the solution of the ques-
ton as to what are the just uses of Mz <
work. |~