THE HISTORY OF THANKSGIVING & ITS CELEBRATIONS

The History of Thanksgiving 
and its Celebrations

We often think of Thanksgiving as a day peculiar to the United States, but throughout history mankind has celebrated bountiful harvests with a variety of joyful ceremonies. Harvest festivals and thanksgiving celebrations were held by the ancient Greeks, Romans, Hebrews, Chinese, and Egyptians. Below is a brief history of Thanksgiving as celebrated in the UNITED STATES:

In 1621, after a hard and devastating first year in the New World the Pilgrim's fall harvest was very successful and plentiful. There was corn, fruits, vegetables, along with fish which was packed in salt, and meat that was smoke cured over fires. They found they had enough food to put away for the winter.

The Pilgrims had beaten the odds. They built homes in the wilderness, they raised enough crops to keep them alive during the long coming winter, and they were at peace with their Indian neighbors. Their Governor, William Bradford, proclaimed a day of thanksgiving to God that was to be shared by all the colonists and the neighboring Native American Indians.

The custom of an annually celebrated thanksgiving, held after the harvest, continued through the years. George Washington, our first president and the Continental Congress, on October 14, 1789 proclaimed that Thursday November 26 should be set aside to offer "PUBLICK THANSGIVING and PRAYER" 

      In 1817 New York State adopted Thanksgiving Day as an annual custom. By the middle of the 19th century many other states also celebrated a Thanksgiving Day. In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln appointed a national day of "THANKSGIVING AND PRAISE TO OUR BENEFICENT FATHER WHO DWELLETH IN THE HEAVENS."  Since then each president has issued a Thanksgiving Day proclamation, usually designating the fourth Thursday of each November as the holiday.

Information from Studio Melizo edited and revised by J. Bruce Sofia

HAPPY THANKSGIVING !

There is no better way to begin Thanksgiving then giving thanks in the Assembly of the Saints (Church).  If you're in the area why not join us.  Service begins at 9:30 am.   

GCCC: 359 Chapel Hts Rd, Sewell, NJ

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