The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1916-11-30
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Thanksgiving.

idst thursday IN November was
adopted by the President of the
United States as the day set "a
part from all others of the year
TO be observed by the people Of
The nation as Thanksgiving Day.
IL was the first Thanksgiving eel
eprated after the close Of the
I.lVll War, and the proclamation
py President Johnson "a few weeks
prior, appointing such a date, was
ISSUED because it was a general
~ Understood fact that Lincoln
had plannedd, during the dark
DAYS at the end of the struggle,
10 nave some one day in Novem
Der reserved yearly by all
states in the Union.
Throughout the war the celebra-
tlon had occurred only here and
there III scattered communities.
And always before, in the vari-
Gus States which did celebrate
the day, 1t was purely a sectional
ALTAR, for which the governor is
sued a proclamation upon his own
initiative November 1868. wit
messed the beginning of the holi-
day as a national institution.
Since that date the governors of
all States and territories, upon
receiving the President 5 procla-
nation, publish their own, nam
ing the day in formal fashion. 1t
Is an American festival day,
unique in more than one respect,
but most perhaps because it is the
only religious festival celebrated
III this country upon the recon-
mendatlOn Of the government.
Il had a tangled beginning. a
score of origins are claimed. And
one Is rather at sea in selecting
his particular belief. In the con
gressional library it was a happy
chance which discovered these va
rIous sources and their grave and
gay histories outlined in a chain
Of sketches.
In the middle States the day
is observed more as religious
matter than as a holiday, but III
New England it is a festival,
domestic feast day and the chief
Of all holidays. Americans like TO
believe that Thanksgiving Day is
purely and simple American, and
it is, but as instituted in New
England the idea was borrowed
Iffom the Dutch, among whom the
Pilgrims had dwelt for ten years
after leaving British soil and be-
fore emigrating to America. The
Iiollanders had been accustomed
to celebrating October both re-
ligiously and socially, in honor of
their dellverance from the Span
iards, and when the first har-
vest in the new home of the Eng
glish emigrants had yielded well
1T seemed the natural thing to re
Joice in a period of public thanks
giving.
Some deserted Indian huts stor-
ell with corn had furnished the
nucleus of that harvest, and an
Indian chief who had once been
in England and consequently
trusted Englishment gave the PHI
grims instruction as to the plant |
ing of the grain and the procur-
ing of game as well. Upon the
flrst harvest rested the well be-
ing of the little colony, so many /
OF whose members had perishhedI
In the first fierce winter which |
followed the landing of the May
flower in December 1920. Thel
hardest, who survided, were hum
bly, grateful for the rich harvest
IN October, which followed the
nelghborly native S suggestions
and Governor Bradford ordered
a three-day feast and celebration
and recognition of such plentitude
The Indians who had first extend
ed the hand of welcome to the
pale faces they were invited to
attend and bring their friends.
In Holland the settlers had
Partaken of Spanish stew as the
common dish of the Thaaksgiv-
ing Day, but in a new country,
Win new foods to use, geese,
turkeys, water fowls and ducks
were eaten. Bread made of barley
ana corn took the place of wheat
bread, as a necessity, and Goldfish :
had It's first inning as a matter
OF both history and gastronomy
among white people. The guests
OF the forest brought deer as a
friendly contribution toward the
least- And this is presumed by B
LII persons to be the first real
thanksgiving Day in America.
iet, since there was no special
reiisious service upon this occa-
SION, recOgnizad autbor;+-o IL;