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Thanksgiving Trivia
The Thanksgiving holiday celebrated each
November in the United States is known
worldwide as an American custom, but its
roots extend far back into human history.
According
to research, the first Americans observed
rituals and ceremonies to express
gratitude to a higher power for life
itself. A Seneca Indian ritual, for
example, states, "Our Creator ...
Shall continue to dwell above the sky, and
this is where those on the earth will end
their thanksgiving." Another
quotation attributed to American Indians
before Columbus is, "The plant has it's
nourishment from the earth and its limbs
go up this way, in praise of its Maker ...
like the limbs of a tree."
The Pilgrims' First Harvest Feast
According
to historical sources, the Pilgrims never
held an autumnal Thanksgiving feast. The
Pilgrims did have a feast in 1621 near
Plymouth, Massachusetts, after their first
harvest. This is the feast people often
refer to as "The First
Thanksgiving." This feast was never
repeated, so it can't be called the start
of a tradition, nor did the colonists or
Pilgrims call it a Thanksgiving Feast. In
fact, to these devoutly religious people,
a day of thanksgiving was a day of prayer
and fasting.
Nevertheless,
the 1621 feast has become a model for the
Thanksgiving celebration in the United
States. More than likely, this first
harvest feast was eaten outside, based on
the fact that the colonists didn't have a
building large enough to accommodate all
the people who came. Native Americans
definitely were among the invited guests,
and it's possible, even probable, that
turkey (roasted but not stuffed) and
pumpkin in some form found their way to
the table. The feast is described in a
firsthand account presumably written by a
leader of the colony, Edward Winslow, as
it appears in Mourt's Relation:
"Our
harvest being gotten in, our governor sent
four men on fowling, that so we might
after a special manner rejoice together
after we had gathered the fruit of our
labors. They four in one day killed as
much fowl as, with a little help beside,
served the company almost a week. At which
time, amongst other recreations, we
exercised our arms, many of the Indians
coming amongst us, and among the rest
their greatest King Massasoit, with some
ninety men, whom for three days we
entertained and feasted, and they went out
and killed five deer, which they brought
to the plantation and bestowed on our
governor, and upon the captain and others.
And although it be not always so plentiful
as it was this time with us, yet by the
goodness of God, we are so far from want
that we often wish you partakers of our
plenty."
From
this we know that the feast went on for
three days, included 90
"Indians," as Native Americans
were called then, and had plentiful food.
In addition to the venison provided by the
Native Americans, there was enough wild
fowl to supply the village for a week. The
fowl included ducks, geese, turkeys and
even swans.
New World With Many Cultural Influences
In
addition to thanksgiving traditions
brought to North America by settlers from
many parts of the world, some authorities
link the American thanksgiving with the
ancient Jewish observance of Sukkoth in
the fall, which expresses thanks to God
for the bounty of the earth. Indeed, all
the major world religions—including
Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity
and Islam—have rituals, observances and
liturgies that express thanks and
gratitude to a higher power for the gift
of life and its wonders. Regardless of the
origin of the American Thanksgiving
holiday, the following brief timeline
shows its development.
Timeline of American Thanksgiving Holiday
1541
- During Coronado's expedition a
Eucharistic thanksgiving, with the
friendly Teya Indians present, occurred in
Palo Duro Canyon in West Texas.
1621
- Pilgrims and Native Americans enjoyed a
harvest feast in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
This feast may have become the model for
today's American celebration.
1630
- Settlers and colonists from many
continents brought customs of days of
prayer and thanksgiving, especially in New
England, where the first Thanksgiving of
the Massachusetts Bay Colony was observed
on July 8, 1630.
1777
- The first Thanksgiving of the new United
States of America occurred in 1777 when
General George Washington and his army, as
instructed by the Continental Congress,
stopped in bitter weather in the open
fields on their way to Valley Forge to
mark the occasion.
1789
- Washington's first proclamation after
his inauguration as the nation's first
president in 1789 declared November 26,
1789, as a national day of
"thanksgiving and prayer."
1800s
- The annual presidential thanksgiving
proclamations ceased for 45 years in the
early 1800s.
1863
- President Abraham Lincoln resumed the
tradition in 1863.
November
26, 1941 - President Roosevelt signed the
bill establishing the fourth Thursday in
November as Thanksgiving Day. Because two
years out of every seven have five
Thursdays in November, some states for the
next 15 years celebrated on their own on
the last Thursday. Since 1956, the fourth
Thursday in November has been observed by
every state.
The
First Thanksgiving Proclamation
June
20, 1676
On
June 20, 1676, the governing council of
Charlestown, Massachusetts, held a meeting
to determine how best to express thanks
for the good fortune that had seen their
community securely established. By unanimous
vote they instructed Edward Rawson, the
clerk, to proclaim June 29 as a day of
thanksgiving. That proclamation is
reproduced here in the same language and
spelling as the original.
While
the proclamation quoted on this page is
the oldest extant thanksgiving
proclamation, the thanksgiving being
announced was by no means the first
thanksgiving. The Plymouth Thanksgiving
traditionally regarded as the first
thanksgiving took place in 1621, the fall
after the Mayflower pilgrims arrived.
"The
Holy God having by a long and Continual
Series of his Afflictive dispensations in
and by the present Warr with the Heathen
Natives of this land, written and brought
to pass bitter things against his own
Covenant people in this wilderness, yet so
that we evidently discern that in the
midst of his judgements he hath remembered
mercy, having remembered his Footstool in
the day of his sore displeasure against us
for our sins, with many singular
Intimations of his Fatherly Compassion,
and regard; reserving many of our Towns
from Desolation Threatened, and attempted
by the Enemy, and giving us especially of
late with many of our Confederates many
signal Advantages against them, without
such Disadvantage to ourselves as formerly
we have been sensible of, if it be the
Lord's mercy that we are not consumed, It
certainly bespeaks our positive
Thankfulness, when our Enemies are in any
measure disappointed or destroyed; and
fearing the Lord should take notice under
so many Intimations of his returning
mercy, we should be found an Insensible
people, as not standing before Him with
Thanksgiving, as well as lading him with
our Complaints in the time of pressing
Afflictions:
The
Council has thought meet to appoint and
set apart the 29th day of this instant
June, as a day of Solemn Thanksgiving and
praise to God for such his Goodness and
Favour, many Particulars of which mercy
might be Instanced, but we doubt not those
who are sensible of God's Afflictions,
have been as diligent to espy him
returning to us; and that the Lord may
behold us as a People offering Praise and
thereby glorifying Him; the Council doth
commend it to the Respective Ministers,
Elders and people of this Jurisdiction;
Solemnly and seriously to keep the same
Beseeching that being perswaded by the
mercies of God we may all, even this whole
people offer up our bodies and souls as a
living and acceptable Service unto God by
Jesus Christ." |
