Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-11-25
ORIGIN OF DAY OF
THANKSGIVING Is
SUBJECT SERMON
REV. ]. G. M. RAMSEY breaches TO
UNION CONGREGATION ON THE
MEANING OF THE DAY.
METHODIST CHURCH TAXED TO ITS
CAPACITY TO ACCOMMODATE A
THANKSGIVING DAY CROWD.

Rev. J. G. NJ. Ramsay, pastor ot the
American Presbyterian church, preached Il
Thanksgiving Day sermon TO the audience
at the union Thanksgiving Day service ~
the Methodist church this morning. DIR.
Ramsey explained in detail the origin OF
the Day of Thanksgiving. lie traced The
inception of the day To the dwellers Of
Canaan in the days of the l~raehte~, and
brought out the various other events ~
biblical history that provide the foundation
forthe universal celebration in the United
States of the Thanksgiving day. DIR. Ram
sey selected n hi~ text Psalms lob = :
"Blc~S the Lord, q my soul. and forget not
all his benefits" He said in part
"The occasion of our gathering together
today j. distinctly an American institution.
but the spirit of the day j. not original
with a.. The custom of setting apart
day for special recognition and acknowl-
edgment of Gods mercieS l. probably pre-
historic. II can he traced back through
the ages of the dwellcr~ IN Canaan from
whom the l~raclitc~ copied many Of their
customs. Their feast Of tabernace~ was
nothing more than prolonged thanks
giving season during which they left their
homes and dwelt in tents To commemorate
Gods goodness 10 them while in their viii
derness wandering~.
"Thc harvest festival Of the ancient
Greeks was celebrated in the city 81
Athens in November and lasted three days.
Ii was called the The>mophoria and wa-
held in honor of Dcmcicr. the foundre-- ~
agriculture and the goddess Of the har-
vests.
"Thc Romans wor>hippcd the same god
dess under the name of Ceres IN October
each wear II was probably the Romans
who first introduced sports part Of
the program of the day. 4 fast, . ~acri-
flee of the first cutting of the harvest. a
feast and then the rustic sports con~ti-
tuted the program of their thanksgiving
day.
'In England the Harvest Home l. the
name given TO their autumnal festivities. a
custom traced back to the Saxons under
E.bert.
"'Thc highest of holidays in Holland was
celebrated IN conncmoration of their de-
livcrancc from Spanish rule II j. prob
ably the memory oI this day by the Pilgrim
fathers. who took refuge from their Eng
lish prosecutors and lived in Holland ten
years prior To their sailing for America,
that gave impetus to the Inauguration of
"A Thanksgiving Day in America We have
not time To repeat details of the familiar
story of the Puritans' celebration OF their
first harvest gathering. After severe
winter and long summer during which half
the little band died of cold. privation and
hardship II was most natural for the rem
nant to turn to the true God of the har-
vest in grateful recognition Of Iii, endur-
ing mercy. On December l3. 1921. the first
Thanksgiving seaSon-tor it lasted three
days-began. The festival was formally
called by Governor Bradford. announced
by the firing of cannon at sunrise, and
duly celebrated bX religious services con
Quoted by Elder Brewster Following the
Thanksgiving service a great feast was
spread In which the wild turkey held the
place of honor and veni~on contributed by
the Indians was plentiful.
"Thcse festivities were repeated rre.u-
larlv from year to year through the co
lonial era. General Washington proclaimed
two special seasons of Thanksgiving dur
ing the revolution, one of them at Valley
Forge. The first congress of the United
States requested the president 20 proclaim
"a Thanksgiving Day. President Washing
tons proclamation called for the 26th of
November l7Sg. Following thi~ precedent
several chief executives called for the OBJ
servance Of the day hy general proclama-
tions. Ii was not until after the war be
tween the states that the spirit of the dav
became truly national and the time of it,
observance became fixed by custom upon
the last Thursday Of November
"We fttingly celebrate The day IN the
services of this hour not only because it
i a national custom but because-and this
j. Of Rrst importance-thi~ l. a service We
owe our God and a duty he demands of
Us. The words of the text. "Ble~, the
Lord. o my soul were an spontaneous out
burst of Joyous thanksgiving on the part
fronFinu nn n.~e 4