Thanksgiving in North America From Local Harvests to Nationa

Thanksgiving in North America: From Local Harvests to National Holiday

Salvatore Lascari (1884-1967) Thanksgiving, n.d. oil on canvas

86.4 x 71.3 cm (34 x 28 in.)

Bequest of Henry Ward Ranger through the National Academy of Design

Collection images powered by the Smithsonian Institution EDAN Widgets

Most Americans are familiar with the Pilgrim's Thanksgiving Feast of 1621, 大多数美国人都很熟悉的朝圣者1621年的感恩节大餐，but few realize that it was not the first festival of its kind in North America. 但很少有人意识到，这是其在北美的第一个节日。 Long before Europeans set foot in the Americas, native peoples sought to insure a good harvest with dances and rituals such as the Green Corn Dance of the Cherokees. 很久以前，欧洲人踏上美洲，原住民寻求舞蹈和仪式，如青玉米舞蹈的切诺基，以确保有个好收成。

The first Thanksgiving service known to be held by Europeans in North America occurred on May 27, 1578 in Newfoundland, 1578年5月27日举行的由欧洲人在北美的第一个感恩节的服务发生在纽芬兰， although earlier Church-type services were probably held by Spaniards in La Florida. 虽然早期教会服务可能是由西班牙人在La佛罗里达州举行。 However, for British New England, some historians believe that the Popham Colony in Maine conducted a Thanksgiving service in 1607 (see Sources: Greif, 208-209; Gould, and Hatch). 然而，英国的新英格兰地区，一些历史学家认为，波帕姆在缅因州的殖民地于1607年进行了感恩服务（见资料来源：格雷夫，208-209;古尔德和舱口盖）。In the same year, Jamestown colonists gave thanks for their safe arrival, and another service was held in 1610 when a supply ship arrived after a harsh winter. 在同一年，詹姆斯敦殖民地居民对此表示感谢，为他们的安全抵达，并在1610

年举行的另一个服务时，一艘补给舰抵达后，一个严寒的冬天。 Berkley Hundred settlers held a Thanksgiving service in accordance with their charter which stated that the day of their arrival in Virginia should be observed yearly as a day of Thanksgiving, but within a few years an Indian uprising ended further services (Dabney). 按照其章程规定，应遵守每年为庆祝感恩节的日子，他们的到来，在弗吉尼亚州伯克利百年的定居者举行了感恩服务，但在几年之内的印度起义结束了更多的服务（达布尼）的。Thus British colonists held several Thanksgiving services in America before the Pilgrim's celebration in 1621. 因此，英国殖民者几个感恩节在美国举行前的朝圣者在1621年的庆祝活动。

The Pilgrims, with a puritanical rejection of public religious display, held a non-religious Thanksgiving feast, aside from saying grace. 朝圣者，一个清教徒式的排斥公开的宗教显示屏，举行非宗教的感恩节大餐，一边说恩典。In fact, they seem to have used the three days for feasting, playing games, and even drinking liquor. 事实上，他们似乎已经习惯了三天，胡吃海喝，玩游戏，甚至喝的酒。

In 1623, the Pilgrims at Plymouth Plantation, Massachusetts, held another day of Thanksgiving. 1623年，清教徒在马萨诸塞州的普利茅斯种植园，举行了另一场庆祝感恩节。As a drought was destroying their crops, colonists prayed and fasted for relief; the rains came a few days later. 由于干旱破坏了他们的庄稼，殖民者祈祷和禁食救济;下雨了几天后。 And not long after, Captain Miles Standish arrived with staples and news that a Dutch supply ship was on its way. 后没多久，船长英哩Standish抵用钉书钉和消息，荷兰补给舰在它的途中。Because of all this good fortune, colonists held a day of Thanksgiving and prayer on June 30. 因为这一切的好运，殖民者在6月30日举行了为期一天的感恩和祈祷。 This 1623 festival appears to have been the origin of our Thanksgiving Day because it combined a religious and social celebration. 这1623节似乎是我们的感恩节的由来，因为它结合了宗教和社会的庆祝活动。

Festivals of Thanksgiving were observed sporadically on a local level for more than 150 years. 节

日感恩节观察到偶尔在地方一级的超过150年。 They tended to be autumn harvest celebrations. 他们往往是秋收的庆典活动。But in 1789, Elias Boudinot, Massachusetts, member of the House of Representatives, moved that a day of Thanksgiving be held to thank God for giving the American people the opportunity to create a Constitution to preserve their hard won freedoms. 但在1789年，伊莱亚斯Boudinot，马萨诸塞州，在众议院的成员，移动，每天举行感恩节感谢上帝给了美国人民的机会，创造一个宪法，维护来之不易的自由。A Congressional Joint Committee approved the motion, and informed President George Washington. 国会联合委员会批准的议案，并通知总统乔治·华盛顿。 On October 3, 1789, the President proclaimed that the people of the United States observe \26th of November. 在1789年10月3日，总统宣布 ，美国人民观察“一天的公众感恩和祈祷”上周四，11月26日。

The next three Presidents proclaimed, at most, two days of thanksgiving sometime during their terms of office, either on their own initiative or at the request of a joint Resolution of Congress. 接下来的三位总统宣布，在大多数的某个时候在他们的任期，为期两天的感恩节，无论是在主动或在美国国会的一项联合决议的要求。One exception was Thomas Jefferson, who believed it was a conflict of church and state to require the American people hold a day of prayer and thanksgiving. 一个例外是托马斯·杰斐逊，他认为这是一个冲突，教会与国家，要求美国人民举行一天的祈祷和感恩。President James Madison proclaimed a day of Thanksgiving to be held on April 13, 1815, the last such proclamation issued by a President until Abraham Lincoln did so in 1862. 詹姆斯麦迪逊总统宣布，1815年4月13日公告发出由总统，直到亚伯拉罕·林肯这样做于1862年的最后一天举行的感恩节。

Most of the credit for the establishment of an annual Thanksgiving holiday may be given to Sarah Josepha Hale. 建立一年一度的感恩节假期的大部分的信贷可给予萨拉·黑尔。 Editor of Ladies Magazine and Godey's Lady's Book, she began to agitate for such a day in 1827 by printing articles in the magazines. 女士杂志的编辑和Godey的Book夫人的 ，她就开始鼓动这样的日子在1827年由印刷在杂志上的文章。 She also published stories and recipes, and

wrote scores of letters to governors, senators, and presidents. After 36 years of crusading, she won her battle. 她还出版了故事和食谱，并写了州长，参议员和总统的信件的分数。经过36多年的征伐，她赢得了战斗。On October 3, 1863, buoyed by the Union victory at Gettysburg, President Lincoln proclaimed that November 26, would be a national Thanksgiving Day, to be observed every year on the fourth Thursday of November. 1863年10月3日，因在葛底斯堡的联盟的胜利，林肯总统宣布，11月26日，将是一个国家的感恩节，必须遵守每年11月的第四个星期四。

Only twice has a president changed the day of observation. 只有两次的总统改变了一天的观察。President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in order to give depression-era merchants more selling days before Christmas, assigned the third Thursday to be Thanksgiving Day in 1939 and 1940. 美国总统富兰克林·D·罗斯福，为了给大萧条时期的商人在圣诞节前的销售日，分配的第三个星期四是感恩节，在1939年和1940年。But he was met with popular resistance, largely because the change required rescheduling Thanksgiving Day events such as football games and parades. 但他遭到了流行的阻力，主要是因为改变需要重新安排的感恩节活动，如足球比赛和游行。 In 1941, a Congressional Joint Resolution officially set the fourth Thursday of November as a national holiday for Thanksgiving. 在1941年，美国国会联合决议正式成立11月的第四个星期四为感恩节为全国性节日。

Today, Thanksgiving is a time when many families come together, and many churches are open for special services. 今天，感恩节的时候，很多家庭走到一起，和许多教堂是开放的特殊服务。We have both Native Americans and immigrants to thank for the opportunity to observe a day of thanksgiving. 我们有美国印第安人和移民的机会来观察一个日子来感谢感谢。 Sources:

Bradford, William. Bradford's History of the Plymouth Settlement 1608-1650. Valerian Paget, ed. (New York: John McBride Co., 1909), and his Of Plymouth Plantation 1620-1647. Samuel Eliot.

ed. (New York: Knopf, 1979.) Also, Bradford and Winslow. Mourt's Relation: Journall of the English Plantation at Plimoth. University Microfilms, Inc., 1966.

Greif, Martin. The Holiday Book. (New York: Universe Books, 1978).

Hatch, Jane M. The American Book of Days, 3rd ed. (New York: Wilson Co., 1978).

Linton, Ralph and Adelin. We Gather Together: The Story of Thanksgiving. (New York: Henry Schuman, 1949).

Myers, Robert. Celebrations: The Complete Book of American Holidays. (New York: Doubleday and Co., 1972).

Saturday Evening Post. \Setting for the First Thanksgiving,\by Virginius Dabney, 253 (November 1981), 12, 14, 88, 118; and \Says They Were First?\by John Gould, 231 (November 1958), 39, 112, 115-6.

Schaun, George and Virginia. American Holidays and Special Days. (Lanham: Maryland Historical Press, 1986).

Scherer, Margaret R. Thanksgiving and Harvest Festivals. (New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1942).

Sickel, H.S.J. Thanksgiving: Its Source, Philosophy, and History with all National Proclamations and Analytical Study Thereof. (Philadelphia: International Printing Co., 1940).

Thomson, Lucy Gertsch. How Holidays Happened. (Utah: Horizon Publishers, 1976).

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