Dates have changed, but it's always a day of giving thanks
An artist's impression of the Mayflower Pilgrims' first Thanksgiving in 1621.
Days of thanksgiving have been a part of human history as long as people have been farming, most often following a bountiful harvest. Many cultures around the world have holidays of thanksgiving such as Canada, Germany, Liberia, Japan and China, among others.
Native Americans had their own rituals where they would celebrate a bountiful harvest, long before Europeans arrived. When Europeans did arrive, they would celebrate the safe passage with thanksgiving events, often including a meal and praise to God for his blessings. One of the earliest of these was a “mass of thanksgiving” celebrated on the east coast of present-day Florida by Spaniards in 1565.
Most people attribute the Thanksgiving Day we know here in the United States to the Mayflower Pilgrims and dates back to 1621 when they celebrated their first harvest at Plymouth. This observance was three days in length and was attended by the 53 Mayflower survivors and 90 local Native Americans.
Thanksgiving was not officially a holiday in the United States until President George Washington proclaimed Nov. 26, 1789, to be a day of Thanksgiving. After that, it was celebrated only intermittently until in 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln declared the last Thursday in November as the national Thanksgiving holiday. Lincoln’s successor Andrew Johnson reset the date to Dec. 7 in 1865. That same year Ohio Gov. Charles Anderson set the date for Ohio as Nov. 30.
In 1939 President Franklin Roosevelt moved the date to Nov. 23 to provide a week of extra Christmas shopping days to help the economy. This became known as the year of two Thanksgivings — or Franksgiving, as it became known — because 22 states refused to accept Roosevelt’s proclamation. Finally, in 1942 an act of Congress made Thanksgiving Day the fourth Thursday in November, and that is when it has been celebrated ever since.
In the early days, Thanksgiving was more of a religious holiday, but it has become more and more secular. After World War I, radio sets became increasingly common in American homes. In 1932 the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was first broadcast on radio. Two years later the first NFL game broadcast on radio was played, entertaining the American public and exposing them to a plethora of advertisements. In the 1950s television supplanted radio, and watching the parades and football games became part of many Americans' Thanksgiving Day tradition.
Traditional foods certainly include turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, and cranberry sauce. Many dine on these foods only on Thanksgiving. The preparation of these foods fills the home with a unique aroma that, along with the warmth provided by the company of family and friends, some of whom you may only see on that day, gives Thanksgiving its very special allure.
Other family traditions have become part of the Thanksgiving holiday. Corey Marmet of Burbank tells of her Grandmother Ruth, who would have a white tablecloth, and everyone would sign the cloth and note what they were thankful for. Over the years the tablecloth would prompt memories of past holidays.
Lynne Backstrom Wagner of Orrville said she goes for a long walk with her dog before the big meal to prepare herself for the gastric overload.
Jerry Klingerman, formerly of Wayne County and now residing in Atlanta, Georgia, remembered some of the men in the family would go rabbit hunting before indulging in the feast. The hunt included Jerry, as well as his dad Paul, brother Ken, Uncle “Skip” and his son Larry.
Roberta Franks of Wooster said her family always watched the movie “The Wizard of Oz” on Thanksgiving Day, and she continues this tradition.
As for my family, growing up in Apple Creek, we always had a very simple Thanksgiving. We were quite poor, but somehow my mother would put together a special meal, much like most had on the same day. The special tradition came after the meal and before it was dark. She gathered all four of her kids into the family car, and we went for a drive.
She would take us to the Apple Creek Developmental Center and drive the streets there. We did this for several years, passing scenes of people in various stages of ill-fortune. She never uttered a word, letting us take it in. I believe it was her way of graphically telling us to count our blessings.
Isn’t that the true meaning of Thanksgiving? Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.
“Looking Back” is a feature from Mike Franks, a local historian.