The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1915-11-27
HISTORY OF THANKSGIVING.
Origin and Evolution of Time-Hon
ored American Holiday.

\
Thanksgiving day is peculiarly an
American institution. 1t is not bor-
roWed, as are so many of our hoi-
days, from ancient traditions of the
older world or from ecclesiastical
calendars. Whflesit has basis of re-
ligious belief a the protective grace
of an over-ffoWing Providence. it has
gained its plaeeof supremacy because
Fit stands for the ideal of the COM
munity out Of which our great repub-
lie has grown. At every step in the
evolution, this Is apparent as the
controlling impulse.
The beginning of the real Thanks
giving day nne#from the heart and
mind of William Bradford, the first
governor of Plymouth. Grateful for
the rich harvester 1921, after long
period of privatIons and semi-starva-
ton, this good man proclaimed day
of thanksgiving for Dec. IS, old style
calendar, of that year. Then did the
royal bird of our Thanksgiving dim
ner tables make his legitimate en-
trance into the theatre of action,
The good gnEernor, having fixed
upon the day of thanksgiving for the
Pilgrims, sent four stout warriors.
with guns in search Of game These
early hunters returned at night stag
geriag under the weight of wild tur-
aeys sufficient 10 meet the wants Of
Plymouth for q week. To them were
added the goodies eoneocted by the
thrifty housewives of the colony, and
when the 18th Of December dawned
all was in readiness for the first real
American Thanksgiving ever known.
And that was not all After Elder
BreWster's sermon in the church,
matter of two Of three hours-dinner
followed; and the scent Of it's good
ness seems to have been waited into
the depths Of the forest, for in the
midst of the feast the Indian yell was
heard and a party of hundred
redskins under King Massa-
soft appeared, bringing with them
great launches nf venison. With all
this supply Of food on hand, it is not
strange to learn that the day of
Thanksgiving heightened into three,
the feast being varied with psalm
singing and exIertatidns with war
dances by the Indians; with military
drill by Myles standish's soldiery,
and with various sports and pastimes
of the more sober English kind.
This was the first Thanksgiving
and others followed more or less reg
ularly down through the years. From
Massachusetts, the observance spread
New England and later
obtained national recognition. Wash
mgton proclaimed d day Of thanks
giving following the successful end
ing of the war for independence, and
Lincoln did the same after the battle
Of Gettysburg Thereafter the last
Thursday ii NoFember has been des-
ignated from Washington, and ma
tional holidag Las become established.
II is recorded that on Thanksgiv-
ing day, l713, the governor Of Con-
necticut and the kings commission
ers We're just preparing to fall upon
the viands, when it was announced in
horror-stricken tones that the bear
for the occasion had been
shot on We Lords day At that dis
NAL news, the entire gathering de-
clined to touch a morsel of the roast
bear, and it was decided that the In-i
dian who shot the animal should be
whipped to the extent of 80 stripes
and restore the price paid for the
meat. Then, having inflicted a Just
and righteous sentence on ye. sinful
heathen,' the company fell upon the
meal with clear eonscienees and
quickly put it out of sight.