The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1930-11-14

fore by the cliff dwellers who raised
turkeys and when they wanted nice.
fat bird for one of their ceremonial
feasts, all they had to do was to go
out to a pen where they kept the fowls
and get one.
More than that, the Navajo Indians
have a November thanksgiving cere-
monial which goes back as far as tri-
bal tradition goes. A series of thanks
giving ceremonies begins about No
vember l and continues at intervals
during the entire month. The Navajo
name for these occasions is the Yabi-
chi, which means thanksgiving for
the corn harvest-a general thanks
giving to the sun and rain gods for
their respective efforts in aiding the
growth of corn and grass.
During the day set aside for the
Yabichi the medicine men and desig-
mated officials Of the locality hold a
ceremony in which blessed corn meal,
corn pollen and feathers of the rain
bird are used. Few outsiders have
ever been admitted to these meetings.
The same night begins a general good
time and feasting for everybody.
Although we look upon the English
settlers of New England as the orig
inators of our Thanksgiving day, we
should not forget that the Dutch who
settled the New Amsterdam which be-
came New York also contributed
something to the day. For there is
no doubt that the Pilgrims. while they
lived in Leyden and observed the man.
ner in which the Dutch celebrated on
October 3 the deliverance Of their
country from Spain with much feast
ing and in a spirit Of thankfulness.
were somewhat Influenced by the char
acter of this celebration in establish.
ing their own Thanksgiving day after
they came to America.
Then. too, Thanksgiving as it is OBJ
served in New York city today is in
many respects so different from the
New England Thanksgiving as to
cause the stranger in Gotham to in
quire into the Mardi Gras nature of
the day, and the answer is that it is
a survival Of an old Dutch custom.
For New York holds great num-
mers' show on Thanksgiving, that Is
to say, juvenile New York does. For
while their elders are going to church
to acknowledge their blessings and
housewives and cooks are busy pre-
pairing the Thanksgiving dinner, the
youngsters are engaged in backing
their faces and turning their clothes
inside out, or converting themselves
into clowns and caricatures Of movie
actors and hobgoblins.
It is a juvenile celebration almost
exclusively, though now and then one
beholds bedecked adult ingratiating-
~ trying to come In on the shower of
pennies. Mostly the coppers are well
earned. To the tune Of mouth harps,
comb and tissue paper and other child
ish instruments, or just whistle,
pigeon wings are cut, hand springs are
turned, songs are rendered and break
downs executed, in keen competition
for something for Thanksgiving"
The phrase is heard from the time the
days first ring at the doorbell gets
one out Of bed until the last theater
is closed at night. 1t dins in ones
ears all day long, as often repeated as
the "Merry Christmas" greeting later
In the year.
AS matter Of fact not one New
York boy or girl in thousand can
tell the stranger in the city the origin
of the custom. All that most num-
mers seem to know of it is that they
always go out for Thanksgiving"
Boys who have grown up in the city
will say that they. too. did the same.
Some Of them add that the sport then