Pilgrim Potluck vs Presidential Proclamations

7 quick facts for your Thanksgiving holiday

Thanksgiving is a beloved American tradition, filled with delicious food, family gatherings, and parades.

But how did this tradition begin, and how did it become a national holiday?

While the iconic 1621 harvest feast shared by the Pilgrims and Wampanoag people gets a lot of attention, Thanksgiving wasn't a national celebration for a long time. In fact, early Thanksgiving observances were mostly local and religious events.

During the throes of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation designating the last Thursday of November as a national day of Thanksgiving. However, this wasn't the first Thanksgiving proclamation – Lincoln actually issued nine during the war – but it's the one credited with establishing Thanksgiving as an annual tradition.

A key figure in this story is Sarah Josepha Hale, a writer and editor who tirelessly campaigned for a national Thanksgiving Day for decades. No joke…decades She began a letter-writing campaign calling for in 1846 - and kept writing.

In 1863, her letters and editorials advocating for a unified holiday caught the attention of Lincoln, who ultimately issued the proclamation.

Here’s an NPR podcast all about Sarah J Hale.

Here are some other quick facts for your family conversations today:

1. 1621: The Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians hold a feast at Plymouth Colony (Massachusetts).

2. 1789: President George Washington declares November 26th, a national day of thanksgiving.

3. 1846: Mrs. Hale conducts a letter-writing campaign to make the last Thursday of November a national day of thanksgiving. (she first wrote about it in 1827)

4. 1863: President Lincoln issues a proclamation calling for the last Thursday of November to be set aside as a day of “Thanksgiving and Praise.”

5. 1924: The first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is held in New York City.

6. 1934: The National Football League holds its first game on Thanksgiving Day.

7. 1941: After altering the date of Thanksgiving, President Franklin Roosevelt reestablishes the fourth Thursday of November as Thanksgiving Day.

The Real First(?) Thankgiving - December 1619

Less well-known is that more than a year before the 1621 Thanksgiving at Plymouth, Englishmen landed at Berkeley Hundred (Virginia) on the James River and held the real first Thanksgiving. Captain John Woodlief and thirty-seven men sailed from Bristol, England, on the ship Margaret and reached Berkeley Hundred nearly three months later in December 1619.

They marked their deliverance from the stormy North Atlantic with a simple service of thanks to God.

Why the Fourth Thursday of November?

Lincoln was not the first President to issue a Thanksgiving proclamation, but his order set a precedent to “observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving” every year for decades to follow.

In 1939, the last Thursday in November fell on the last day of the month. Concerned that the shortened holiday shopping season might dampen the nation’s economic recovery from the Great Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued a Presidential Proclamation moving Thanksgiving to the second to last Thursday of November.

Sixteen states refused to accept the change, and for the next two years Thanksgiving was celebrated on two different days. To end the confusion, Congress passed a law in 1941 establishing the fourth Thursday in November as the federal Thanksgiving Day holiday.

Lincoln's 1863 proclamation wasn't just about celebrating good fortune. It was also a call for unity and healing during a deeply divided time. He urged citizens to give thanks for blessings while acknowledging the "national perverseness and disobedience" that led to the war.

So, the next time you gather around the Thanksgiving table, remember that this tradition has deep roots in American history. It's a day not just for delicious food, but also for expressing gratitude and reflecting on the challenges and triumphs of our nation.

How long does it take Chuck Norris to cook a turkey? It depends on how long he stares at it.