The Thanksgiving Story
Posted by: bigguyhereagain <bigguyhereagain@...>
OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY IN THE U.S.A!!!!!
"Happy Thanksgiving"
*** The Thanksgiving Story ***
The Pilgrims who sailed to this country aboard the Mayflower were
originally members of the English Separatist Church (a Puritan sect). They
had earlier fled their home in England and sailed to Holland (The
Netherlands) to escape religious persecution. There, they enjoyed more
religious tolerance, but they eventually became disenchanted with the Dutch
way of life, thinking it ungodly. Seeking a better life, the Separatists
negotiated with a London stock company to finance a pilgrimage to America.
Most of those making the trip aboard the Mayflower were non-Separatists, but
were hired to protect the company's interests. Only about one-third of the
original colonists were Separatists.
The Pilgrims set ground at Plymouth Rock on December 11, 1620. Their first
winter was devastating. At the beginning of the following fall, they had
lost 46 of the original 102 who sailed on the Mayflower. But the harvest of
1621 was a bountiful one. And the remaining colonists decided to celebrate
with a feast -- including 91 Indians who had helped the Pilgrims survive
their first year. It is believed that the Pilgrims would not have made it
through the year without the help of the natives. The feast was more of a
traditional English harvest festival than a true "thanksgiving" observance.
It lasted three days.
Governor William Bradford sent "four men fowling" after wild ducks and
geese. It is not certain that wild turkey was part of their feast. However,
it is certain that they had venison. The term "turkey" was used by the
Pilgrims to mean any sort of wild fowl.
Another modern staple at almost every Thanksgiving table is pumpkin pie. But
it is unlikely that the first feast included that treat. The supply of flour
had been long diminished, so there was no bread or pastries of any kind.
However, they did eat boiled pumpkin, and they produced a type of fried
bread from their corn crop. There was also no milk, cider, potatoes, or
butter. There was no domestic cattle for dairy products, and the
newly-discovered potato was still considered by many Europeans to be
poisonous. But the feast did include fish, berries, watercress, lobster,
dried fruit, clams, venison, and plums.
This "thanksgiving" feast was not repeated the following year. But in 1623,
during a severe drought, the pilgrims gathered in a prayer service, praying
for rain. When a long, steady rain followed the very next day, Governor
Bradford proclaimed another day of Thanksgiving, again inviting their Indian
friends. It wasn't until June of 1676 that another Day of Thanksgiving was
proclaimed.
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. It is notable that this thanksgiving celebration probably did
not include the Indians, as the celebration was meant partly to be in
recognition of the colonists' recent victory over the "heathen natives,"
(see the proclamation).
October of 1777 marked the first time that all 13 colonies joined in a
thanksgiving celebration. It also commemorated the patriotic victory over
the British at Saratoga. But it was a one-time affair.
George Washington proclaimed a National Day of Thanksgiving in 1789,
although some were opposed to it. There was discord among the colonies, many
feeling the hardships of a few Pilgrims did not warrant a national holiday.
And later, President Thomas Jefferson scoffed at the idea of having a day of
thanksgiving.
It was Sarah Josepha Hale, a magazine editor, whose efforts eventually led
to what we recognize as Thanksgiving. Hale wrote many editorials championing
her cause in her Boston Ladies' Magazine, and later, in Godey's Lady's Book.
Finally, after a 40-year campaign of writing editorials and letters to
governors and presidents, Hale's obsession became a reality when, in 1863,
President Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November as a national day
of Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving was proclaimed by every president after Lincoln. The date was
changed a couple of times, most recently by Franklin Roosevelt, who set it
up one week to the next-to-last Thursday in order to create a longer
Christmas shopping season. Public uproar against this decision caused the
president to move Thanksgiving back to its original date two years later.
And in 1941, Thanksgiving was finally sanctioned by Congress as a legal
holiday, as the fourth Thursday in November.
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*** The Miracle of Thanksgiving ***
I woke up early this morning,
excited about Thanksgiving.
I have responsibilities to fulfill on that day:
besides renewing bonds of love
between friends and
family over a table laden with
God's abundance, my job is to choose
what kind of day I am going to have.
This Thanksgiving I can complain
because the weather is rainy or...
I can be thankful the grass
is getting watered for free.
This Thanksgiving I can feel sad
that I don't have more money or...
I can be glad my finances
encourage me to plan
my purchases wisely and
guide me away from waste.
This Thanksgiving I can grumble
about my health or...
I can rejoice that I am alive.
This Thanksgiving I can lament over
what my parents didn't give
when I was growing up or...
I can feel grateful they
allowed me to be born.
This Thanksgiving I can mourn
my lack of friends or... I can excitedly
embark upon a quest
to discover new relationships.
This Thanksgiving I can whine
because I have to go back to work after
the holiday or... I can shout
for joy because I have a job to go to.
This Thanksgiving I can murmur
dejectedly because of all the work and
expense involved or... I can
feel honored because God has
provided food not only for my body
but also for my mind and soul.
This Thanksgiving I can reflect on life
and feel regret that things have
not worked out as I had planned or...
I can rejoice that I have begun
a new life in Christ.
This Thanksgiving stretches ahead of me,
waiting to be shaped. And here I am,
the sculptor who gets to do the shaping.
What this day will be like is up to me. It is
the miracle of Thanksgiving,
for I get to choose what kind of day I will have
*********************************************
What Is Thanksgiving
To thank the Lord for what we have
A time to be happy instead of sad
For families to gather for the big feast
Bless the meal and pray for those in need
I'm so thankful there's someone who understands
Who listens to me and lends a helping hand
The pain and sorrow I could not bear
If God were not there to share
I thank God for the talent He brings
I share his Word through the music I sing
I am ill and have been for so long
But I have a friend who encourages me to go on
I have a lot to be thankful for
With friends and loved ones I adore
We all need to become aware
God will help us through Faith,Hope and Prayer
Remember on this Thanksgiving Day
To show ones who are lost there is a way
Whatever our problems,troubles and sorrows
If you trust in the Lord,there'll be brighter tomorrows
I found through a friend that life is worth living
I find the answer through loving and giving
Through Faith and Prayer I have no doubt
That this is what Thanksgiving is all about
Happy Thanksgiving
Have a Blessed Day
Dave and Barbara
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