Newsletter November 2016 – Thanksgiving Happiness

A little Thanksgiving History:

In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. It wasn’t until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November.

 Did you know …..

Venison (given to the colonist by the Indians), lobster, seal and swans were on the Pilgrims’ menu (not Turkey);

Thanksgiving was originally a three day festival;

In 1827 Sara Josepha Hale started a 30 year campaign to annually; celebrate Thanksgiving;

In the 1920s, many of Macy’s department store employees were first-generation immigrants. Proud of their new American heritage, they wanted to celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving. The first Macy’s Thanksgiving parade was held in 1924;

The quirkiest of all Thanksgiving traditions began in 1989 when President George H.W. Bush granted the First Official Pardon to a turkey.

I am thankful for each of you!!!

http://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving/history-of-thanksgiving

http://mayflowerhistory.com/thanksgiving/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macy’s_Thanksgiving_Day_Parade