Thanksgiving: History of and Traditions

Thanksgiving: All you didn't know, maybe.......

America's only holiday that is non denominational. The day we give thanks for all the good in our lives and appreciate eachother. Also it is the most stressful holiday. It's not Thanksgiving without football, overeating, guilt, fighting, naps after dinner, unwanted guests, and the stress of an entire week of cooking including the 6am turkey preparation. Too many chefs in the kitchen. 

PART 1.) History

Now the serious side and history. Anything I have not written myself will be credited but I usually write my blog bursts and research them as a term paper. I know you don't care but I do. I want what I write to be me, not plagiarism. 

The whole idyllic idea of the first Thanksgiving was a long time in the making. Once upon a time, in the late 16th and early 17th century there were some people in England that felt their religious views in Christianity were being threatened. They differed from the Church of England under the reign of Elizabeth the First and were labeled as protesters or PROTESTANTS. They believed in a more pure translation of the Bible and were then given the name PURITANS. Because they were suffering great religious persecution the fled to the Netherlands,(Holland), and after a time felt unhappy there also. The felt the people of Holland were not as devote as they were in their conviction to God and their way of dress and behavior. This very small group decided to set off for New England in the Americas and create their own life. They, ironically, got the endorsement and finances from a London stock firm to pay for their journey to the New World. Now they were labeled as SEPARATISTS making a PILGRIMAGE endorsed by the London firm. A ship was provided called the MAYFLOWER. On board were 2/3rds of the members of the London firm and 1/3rd of the Protestant/Puritan/Sepratists wanting to make a new life. All together they were the PILGRIMS.

102 souls were on board the Mayflower on her voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. On December 11, 1620 they made landfall at Plymouth Rock. They truly were a diversified group that had now been thrown together by politics, religion and greedy investors. Now completely alone. They were all equal now in the same boat (pun intended). They hand landed on the shore of nowhere in the middle of winter and started to make a home. In over 10 months they had lost 46 of the original Pilgrims. The native americans had stepped in and helped them that year and taught them invaluable lessons about growing crops, surviving and thriving. The hard work of both the pilgrims and native americans resulted in growing a bountiful harvest. The remaining pilgrims and their native saviors all celebrated in a traditional english harvest festival that lasted for 3 days. Ironically, it was a pagan tradition, as far from Christianity as you could get, that the pilgrims had clung to and turned into time of thanks for the Puritan, Protestant, Separatist, Native American and Unseeded London Stock Protectors.

by Catraven =^..^=

Of course there is so much more to say about that journey across the ocean and struggles that year. But that would take a book not a blog.

Part 2.) First Official Thanksgiving 

The first official Thanksgiving Holiday for the Untied States was declared by George Washington.

The following is courtesy of Archiving America Website:

 This historic proclamation was issued by George Washington during his first year as President. It sets aside Thursday, November 26 as "A Day of Publick Thanksgiving and Prayer."Signed by Washington on October 3, 1789 and entitled "General Thanksgiving," the decree appointed the day "to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God."

Our Thanksgiving now,  after many presidents, was set in stone by FDR finally.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in 1939, proposed to Congress that the third Thursday of every November be made the official National Holiday and Observance of Thanksgiving. Congress finally approved it 2 years later in 1941 while the US was coming out of the Great Depression and thrown into the devastation of WORLD WAR II. 

Read more at http://www.theholidayspot.com/thanksgiving/national_holiday.htm#TOMg77z2uZ6JgL6v.99 

PS. Lincoln was the first president to designate Thankgiving as a National holiday.

Meow for now,

Catraven =^..^=