THANKSGIVING LEGEND AND FACTS

MOST PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT THE FIRST THANKSGIVING OCCURRED IN THE FALL OF 1621 IN PLYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS. THE FAMOUS CELEBRATION OCCURRED BETWEEN THE PILGRIMS AND THE NATIVE AMERICANS (FIRST PEOPLE).

THE FIRST FACT IS THAT THE FIRST THANKSGIVING NEVER HAPPENED IN PLYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS, IN THE WINTER OF 1621. WHAT HAPPENED WAS MORE ABOUT GLUTTONY THEN ABOUT BEING THANKFUL. READ THE NEXT PARAGRAPH.

IN THE BOOK PLYMOUTH COLONY, ITS HISTORY AND PEOPLE 1620-1691 IT STATES: "IN THE FALL OF 1621, PRIOR TO THE ARRIVAL OF THE FORTUNE, THE SMALL GROUP OF SURVIVORS CELEBRATED WHAT HAS COME TO BE KNOWN AS THE FIRST THANKSGIVING. THE EVENT WAS DESCRIBED BY EDWARD WINSLOW; OUR HARVEST BEING GOTTEN IN, OUR GOVERNOUR SENT FOURE MEN ON FOWLING, THAT SO WE MIGHT AFTER A MORE SPECIAL MANNER REJOICE TOGETHER, AFTER WE HAD GATHERED THE FRUIT OF OUR LABOURS, THEY FOURE IN ONE DAY KILLED A MUCH FOWLE, AS WITH LITTLE HELPE BESIDE, SERVED THE COMPANY ALMOST A WEEKE, AT WHICH TIME AMONGST OTHER RECREATIONS, WE EXERCISED OUR ARMES, MANY OF THE INDIANS COMING AMONGST US, AND ANMONGST THE REST THEIR GREATEST KING MASSASOYT, WITH SOME NINTIE MEN, WHOM FOR THREE DAYES WE ENTERTAINED AND FEASTED, AND THEY WENT OUT AND KILLED FIVE DEERE, WHICH THEY BROUGHT TO THE PLANTATION AND BESTOWED ON OUR GOVERNOUR, AND UPON THE CAPTAINE, AND OTHERS. AND ALTHOUGH IT BE NOT ALWAYES SO PLENTIFUL, AS IT WAS AT THIS WITH US, YET BY THE GOODNESSE OF GOD, WE ARTE SO FARRE FROM WANT, THAT WE OFTEN WISH YOU PARTAKERS OUR PLENTY."

THE FIRST THANKSGIVING HAPPENED IN 1630 IN BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IN THE BOOK ENTITLED "THE FIRST AMERICANS 1607-1690" IT STATES: "THE FIRST THANKSGIVING IN BOSTON WAS HELD FEBRUARY 22, 1630, AS AN EXPRESSION OF GRATITUDE FOR THE SAFE ARRIVAL OF SHIPS FROM ENGLAND BRINGING SUPPLIES OF FOOD AND ADDITIONAL SETTLERS. THE NEXT YEAR THANKSGIVING DAY WAS HELD NOVEMBER 4, AND FROM THAT TIME UNTIL 1684, NOT LESS THAN TWENTY-TWO PUBLIC DAYS WERE APPOINTED IN MASSACHUSETTS FOR RENDERING THANKS.. BUT THANKSGIVING DAY DID NOT BECOME A FIXED ANNUAL OBSERVANCE UNTIL MANY YEARS LATER, AND IN TIMES OF DEEP GLOOM DURING THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY THE FEAST WAS OMITTED. THE HARVESTING OF AN ABUNDANT CROP WAS NOT THE ONLY OCCASION FOR THIS CELEBRATION, FOR AT VARIOUS TIMES IT WAS HELD IN GRATITUDE FOR A VICTORY OVER THE INDIANS, FOR THE SUCCESS OF THE PROTESTANT ARMS IN GERMANY, THE ACCESSION OF A KING, THE ABATEMENT OF EPIDEMICS, THE HEALING OF BREACHES' IN CHURCH CONGREGATIONS, OR THE SUPPRESSION OF PIRATES. NOR WAS THE CELEBRATION CONFINED TO ANY ONE MONTH OR ANY ONE DAY OF THE WEEK. ONE YEAR IT WAS APPOINTED FOR A TUESDAY, ANOTHER FOR A WEDNESDAY COM FORNIT, ' IT WAS ONLY IN AFTER YEARS THAT THE CUSTOM OF HOLDING THE FEAST ON THURSDAY BECAME FIXED."

ANOTHER FACT, IN 1769, PLYMOUTH COMMEMORATED THE PILGRIMS' LANDING WITH A PARADE, FOLLOWED BY A BANQUET AT WHICH WELL-KNOWN ORATORS OR CLERGY MEN WERE INVITED

IN NEW ENGLAND THANKSGIVING WAS CELEBRATED SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR AS PROCLAIMED BY THE DIFFERENT GOVERNORS DURING THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. IT WAS A DAY OF PRAYER, ONE WOULD GO TO MORNING CHURCH AND THEN HAVE A LEISURELY MEAL AFTERWARD. SYLVESTER JUDD, NOVELIST, IN 1851, DESCRIBED THANKSGIVING AS " A DAY DEVOTED TO MIRTH, GRATEFULNESS, HOSPITALITY, FAMILY LOVE, EATING, DRINKING."

CALVINIST MISSIONARIES TRAVELING ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY (COLONIES) IN THE 1830'S AND 1840'S ENCOURAGED A NEW ENGLAND STYLE THANKSGIVING.

NEXT, SARAH JOSEPH HALE, EDITOR OF GODEY'S LADY'S BOOK, WROTE ARTICLES ABOUT THE NEW ENGLAND CELEBRATION. HALE ENCOURAGED GOVERNORS TO HAVE THE HOLIDAY IN NOVEMBER. HALE THEN TRIED TO GET THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TO DO LIKE WISE. IN RESPONSE TO HALE, IT IS BELIEVED ABE LINCOLN PROCLAIMED THE FIRST NATIONWIDE THANKSGIVING IN 1863.. IT WAS TO COMMEMORATE THE UNION VICTORIES.

IN THE BOOK ENTITLED, "THE PILGRIMS AND POCAHONTAS, RIVAL MYTHS OF AMERICAN ORIGIN" IT STATES: "THE CUSTOM TOOK ROOT RAPIDLY AFTER THE WAR ENDED. CAUGHT UP IN THE EXALTATION OF VICTORY, NORTHERNERS EMBRACED THE HOLIDAY AND ENCOURAGE SUBSEQUENT PRESIDENTS TO AUTHORIZE YEARLY THANKSGIVINGS, FOR UNDERSTANDABLE REASONS SOUTHERNERS REMAINED RELUCTANT TO OBSERVE A NEW ENGLAND FESTIVITY SANCTIONED BY THE GOVERNMENT TO THANK GOD FOR THEIR OWN DEFEAT. NEVERTHELESS, BY CENTURY'S END, THE TRADITION HAD GAINED SO MUCH MOMENTUM THAT THANKSGIVING WAS CELEBRATED ANNUALLY AROUND THE UNITED STATES. WITH THE HEIGHTENED INTEREST IN COLONIAL AMERICA DURING THE LATE NINETEENTH CENTURY, THE PILGRIMS WERE INCORPORATED INTO THE HOLIDAY LEXICON, A CONFLATION OF HISTORY AND REGIONAL LORE, THAT UNITED FOREFATHERS' DAY WITH THANKSGIVING."

IN 1939, PRESIDENT FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT AND THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS SET THE DAY FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THANKSGIVING ON THE THIRD THURSDAY IN NOVEMBER.

I HOPE THIS ARTICLE, WILL EDUCATE YOU ON WHAT THANKSGIVING REALLY WAS ORIGINALLY AND WHAT IT HAS BECOME TODAY. THE FIRST NATIONAL THANKSGIVING WAS FOR THE VICTORIES OF THE UNION ARMY IN 1863. THE FIRST RECORDED THANKSGIVING HAPPENED IN BOSTON IN 1630 NOT IN PLYMOUTH IN 1621. THE REASONS FOR HAVING THANKSGIVING WHICH WERE MORE THAN ONCE A YEAR WERE FOR VARIED THINGS, INCLUDING THE VICTORIES BY THE SETTLERS OVER NATIVE AMERICANS (KILLING INDIANS). RE-READ THE ARTICLE, THE HOLIDAY MAY MEAN ONE THING TODAY, BUT IT WAS SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT ORIGINALLY. MAYBE AS NATIVE AMERICANS WE SHOULD NOT CELEBRATE IT. WHAT DO YOU THINK?

EVERY DAY IS A GOOD DAY TO THANK THE CREATOR FOR ALL THE GOOD THINGS THAT HE OR SHE PROVIDES. THANK YOU MUNDU.