The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1926-11-26
THANKSGIVING DAY

Yesterday was Thanksgiving Day. 1t is the
day when we gather to conventionaly give thanks
to a kind Providence for the blessings conferred
during the past year, and especially during the
preceding growing season.
We celebrate this day with feasting, dancing
and merry-making.
Our appreciation Of the blessings of Nature and
Natures God is manifested by OutpOuring of
JOY and happiness.
1t is we'll that a certain day be set apart to
consider and duly appreciate the kindness of
Mother Nature: how she makes the Sun to shine,
the rains to fall the vegetables, grains and fruits
to grow, and all living things to reproduce them
selves to the end that the larders are filled and
the needs Of man are satisfied-hOw thus is pro-
vided for the needs Of man and foul and beast
out of the very breast of Mother Earth.
The proper considerations of these facts, brings
US back to basic THINGS and the sources of all
life 1t recalls to US the vanity of mans con-
trivancy, and that in spite of all the wonders of
his works, the things upon which life is sustained
is the product of the activities of Nature.
The works of man can pass away-his castles
can decay and crumbe to the earth: his machine
ny can be reduced to pile of rust: his books and
his lore can perish and be forgotten; but he can
still survive and be relatively comfortable healthy
and happy; but should the lose its warmth
and the stimulation of it's ray: should the rain
cease to fall or the seeds terminate, life itself
would perish from the earth.
The works of man are trivial-they can pass
and be restored; but nature must never fail if life
is to continue.
There is a tradition that the Thanksgiving fes-
tival was originated by the Pilgrim Fathers, af-
ter years of hardship and finally a successful
harvest.
Of course, this is not a fact at ALL Thanksgiv-
ing is as old as the traditions of man-it was a
feast day of our pagan ancestry celebrated by
them since the dawn of consciousness.
There are four feasts of the seasons, celebrated
in all countries and chimes by all men in al.
stages of civilization since man commenced to
realize his environments
These days are: Christmas and New Years; the
celebration of the retreat of the forces of Dark
and the starting of the new cycle of the Sea-
sons: the next is Valentine Day and Easter, the
celebration of mating time and the advent of
spring; the third is midsummer, or Fourth of
July, the celebration of the coming of the heavy
growing maturity season and the fourth, the
harvest festivities, marking the end of the grow
ing season and the advent of autumn, when Ma
ture goes to sleep.
All is a part Of early sun worship
These feasts and festivals have been Christian
lied and adapted to all sorts of religious ideas
they have been set forward or backward a few
days, as occasion required; and in some instances
they have been made into tribal or national holi-
days, as the Fourth of July, and have taken a
secular instead of a religious significance, but
they occur among all men, and are the outgrowtF
of the same tradition
So the Pilgrim Fathers were only celebrating
5he harvest festival long celebrated in England
under the new name of Thanksgiving
And the day has always been day of feast
ing, joy and revelry.
And so all things are old and nothing is new
in this world Of ours.