Lady Victoria Eclectic Pagan's blog: "Thanksgiving"

As we gather today to celebrate this great feast with our friends and family. We have set a place at this table for the High Gods. Blessed one’s, come eat and drink with us. We offer you the hospitality of our home. How wonderful, How marvelous. This food is a gift of the earth from which it grew. This food is a gift from those who drew it forth and prepared it for us. This food is the gift of the gods and goddesses. We give in return, our thoughts and prayers, our words and deeds. A gift for a gift, with thanks to the givers for this feast. Blessed Be

Thank you firewalker for allowing me to borrow and share... Thank you, Earth, For your abundant bounty. I gratefully receive your gifts and blessings. For the air I breathe, I thank the plants and trees. The air, the fire, The water, and the earth. Thank you for sustaining my life And nourishing me. For the blessings of loved ones, who help me along life's path. I am thankful. My life is full to overflowing with gifts of ancestors. Courageous souls who survived, And made my life possible. Thank you great spirits of the cosmos, for the lessons I sometimes try to avoid, But which I need. And for the joys and pains which open my spirit and expand my heart. I am grateful for health, abundance, and challenges, each unique. Thank you all who have touched my life's journey. Each new day is a gift, To which I pledge the best of myself. For the blessings of life's great circle continue in me. From the cave to the stars, I have always been and will always be. I am rich in the things that matter. With my deepest gratitude, I offer my blessings to all on this day.

How Thanksgiving Became the National Day of Mourning for the Wampanoag Native Americans When I was young, it was O.K. for people to celebrate the myth of Thanksgiving as it had been told to us for hundreds of years. The Pilgrims landed on Plymouth rock and were met by some very friendly “Indians”. These Indians quickly became friends with the Pilgrims. In a way of celebrating both the Pilgrim/Indian friendship and the wonderful harvest that the Pilgrims and the Indians worked together to cultivate… Thanksgiving was born. Now as time goes on and the country becomes more and more politically correct we can see that the story behind Thanksgiving was based mostly on mythology and it has gone through great changes. This is, in part, due to the Wampanog tribe of Native Americans but more specifically a man named Frank B. James, the one time leader of the Wampanog tribe. How did the Wampanog tribe of Native Americans turn Thanksgiving into the National Day of Mourning? The Commonwealth of Massachusetts had decided back in 1970 to invite the then leader of the Wampanoag Native American tribe to Plymouth Mass, the site of the “first Thanksgiving”, and give a speech about the meaning Thanksgiving. The speech was set to take place on the top of Cole’s Hill. Once the Commonwealth of Massachusetts realized that the Wampanoag tribe leader, Frank B. James, intended to speak out about the misconceptions of Thanksgiving and the way that the Native Americans were actually treated, they decided to un-invite him as a public speaker. This, however, did not stop the Wampanog Native American tribe, it’s leader Frank B. James, or it’s supporters. Convening at Cole’s Hill in Plymouth Mass, The Wampanoag Native American tribe declared that the Fourth Sunday of November would no longer be known to Native Americans as Thanksgiving. They would now use this day as a way of protesting the Thanksgiving myth of how Native Americans were actually treated…The National Day Of Mourning was born. National Day Of Mourning Will Continue Since that first gathering, Native Americans and their supporters have gathered on Cole’s Hill in Plymouth Massachusetts on the Fourth Thursday of November at twelve noon to commemorate The National Day of Mourning. There has been a plaque placed on Cole’s Hill at the yearly meeting site which reads: “Since 1970, Native Americans have gathered at noon on Cole’s Hill in Plymouth to commemorate a National Day of Mourning on the US Thanksgiving holiday. Many Native Americans do not celebrate the arrival of the Pilgrims and other European settlers. To them, Thanksgiving Day is a reminder of the genocide of millions of their people, the theft of their lands, and the relentless assault on their culture. Participants in a National Day of Mourning honor Native ancestors and the struggles of Native peoples to survive today. It is a day of remembrance and spiritual connection as well as a protest of the racism and oppression which Native Americans continue to experience.” I can certainly understand why Native Americans would take issue with their whole country celebrating the way that their people were murdered and their land overtaken. See I don’t know exactly what happened because A) I wasn’t there B) my “perfect world” history books told a story of two different types of people coming together to give thanks for their new found relationship with each other. The Wampanoag Native American tribe has been quoted as saying they will continue with their National Day of Mourning ceremonies and rallies until American history books reflect what truly happened to their people once the Pilgrims came to this country. While I think we have made definite steps in that direction…I can’t see that happening for a long, long time, if ever.

The Mayflower was fast, seaworthy ship and was about twenty years old. She had been in the wine trade in France and could carry one hundred & eighty tons. No one is sure exactly what the ship looked like. The ship was about ninety feet long and about twenty-five feet wide. The middle part of the main deck was open to the weather. Below this was the gun deck and below that was the hold. There were high structures at the bow and stern of the ship. The one at the bow was the forecastle, where the crew slept and the cook had a brick wood-burning stove. The structure at the aft, the stern castle, had two short decks, one below the other. In one of these was the master's stateroom and the "great cabin," where the officers ate. In both there were also bunks for the more important passengers. Since this was the driest part of the ship, the flour and sea biscuits were stored here. On the deck below was the steerage. Steering wheels and gear had not yet been invented. Instead, the ship was steered by a whipstaff, a beam attached to the tiller that ran through a sternpost down to the rudder. Some of the passengers slept in the shallop, an open boat that was stowed on the gun deck. Most of the passengers probably spread blankets on the planking that formed the floors of the decks. Beside food, clothing and some pieces of furniture, the Pilgrims took along a supply of seeds, garden tools, saws, axes, hammers, gunpowder, and firearms. They also brought barrels of bright cloth, beads, knives and small mirrors to trade with the Indians. It was gale season when they set sail. For days at a time they had to lower the sails and drift through gigantic seas. Seams in the deck opened, letting icy water down on the frightened passengers, many were sick. At the height of one gale a main beam in the middle of the ship had buckled and cracked. Several officers wanted to turn back, but the beam was repaired, and the ship's master Christopher Jones, said the ship was strong and tight. Christopher Jones was an expert mariner and had commanded the Mayflower for twelve years. Beside the officers there were about twenty or more seamen. They cursed the Pilgrims and made fun of their constant praying. The pilgrims saw the hardships aboard ship as God's way of testing their faith and courage. After more than two months at sea, land was finally sighted. They were at Cape Cod, just north of the Hudson River. Heading south they ran into shoals and breakers. They took shelter at Provincetown Harbor where the Pilgrim leaders drew up the Mayflower Compact. There were too many Indians around Cape Cod and not enough fresh water. They decided to go to Thievish Harbor but could not find it, so they landed at a place they called Plymouth. The Pilgrims sheltered in the ship for the winter. In January & February of that first winter, sometimes two or three people died in a single day. Many died of scurvy, a sickness caused by the lack of fruit and vegetables. Some would have died from pneumonia and typhus. The sick were lodged in the storehouse and the Mayflower became a hospital ship. The ship left in April for the return trip to England. The Pilgrims were on their own, three thousand miles from home. In the spring the fragrant pink arbutus bloomed, which they called the mayflower. The large stream that flowed into Plymouth they named Jones River after the ship's master.

The Church of England was somewhere between the Catholic and Protestant religions. The services were full of ritual and the Bishops told the people what to believe. Some of the people did not like all the ceremony and wanted to study the Bible and decide for themselves what to believe. By the early 1600's, thousands of people in England, Scotland and Ireland felt this way. Others made fun of them for wanting to "purify the church." Soon they became known as "Puritans." Most Puritans still went to the Church of England but they also met secretly in homes to study the Bible and listen to sermons. Many Puritans were willing to wait until their numbers were strong enough to rid the English church of all traces of the Roman Catholic Church. Some Puritans, known as Separatists, were ready to leave the church right away. They wanted a church without deans or bishops or any sacraments except baptism and communion. They did not want any altars, candles, incense, or organ music. Every church congregation would be free to elect its own ministers and elders. Each congregation would manage its own affairs. The English church and the government were one and the same. To separate from the church was an act of treason. People were put in jail for this act of separation and some were put to death. Life became harder for them, so in 1607 they decided to move to Holland, where they could worship as they pleased. Leaving England was a problem because traitors could not get passports and they had very little money for the transportation by ship. Despite these obstacles, within a couple of years a hundred and twenty-five Separatists reached Holland. They Separatists were poor but respected and lived in Amsterdam and then Leyden. They managed to make a living and support their church. Most of them had been farmers, but in Holland farm land was scarce and very expensive. Most of them were working 12 to 15 hours a day for little pay. In February 1620, they received a grant for a plantation, a place to found a colony. This was to be near the mouth of the Hudson River in the Virginia Colony. The land would be free, but they needed money for expenses. Hearing about the group, an Englishman named Thomas Weston got together a company of adventurers, people who backed ventures of this type. The Adventurers would pay for a ship, crew and supplies in return for the Colonists working for them for 7 years. They could fish, trade in furs, cut timber or do anything that would make a profit. The Colonists were to keep only enough to keep them going from year to year and the rest would go back to the Adventurers in London. At the end of the seven years, every Colonist who was sixteen or older would be given one share in the company. A share was worth about 10 pounds or fifty dollars in gold. Each Adventurer would get one share for every ten pounds he had put into the venture. To the Colonists this seemed unfair. They wanted to work for themselves for two days of every week. They also wanted their own houses and gardens. The Adventurers refuse their request. Many of the Separatists changed their minds about going to the New World. They had also just heard About another group of one hundred and eighty passengers who had set out for Virginia and only fifty had survived the voyage. Fifty or sixty decided to go to the New World. These Pilgrims, as they came to be known, found leaving friends and neighbors very painful. They made their way first to London where they faced delay and many other problems. They gathered food, clothing, muskets, powder and shot, axes and fishing gear. It was September before they sailed in two ships, the Mayflower and the smaller Speedwell. The Speedwell proved to be un-seaworthy and some of the passengers had to be left behind. The rest crowded aboard the Mayflower. One hundred and two men, women and children were setting sail for a strange country. Their chances were slim as it was late in the year for a fair voyage and for planting crops. Their supplies were sparse and the men knew nothing of fishing or fur trading, as they were mostly farmers and craftsmen. The Pilgrims did have a brave and determined spirit.

Throughout history mankind has celebrated the bountiful harvest with thanksgiving ceremonies. Before the establishment of formal religions many ancient farmers believed that their crops contained spirits which caused the crops to grow and die. Many believed that these spirits would be released when the crops were harvested and they had to be destroyed or they would take revenge on the farmers who harvested them. Some of the harvest festivals celebrated the defeat of these spirits. Harvest festivals and thanksgiving celebrations were held by the ancient Greeks, the Romans, the Hebrews, the Chinese, and the Egyptians. The Greeks The ancient Greeks worshipped many gods and goddesses. Their goddess of corn (actually all grains) was Demeter who was honored at the festival of Thesmosphoria held each autumn. On the first day of the festival married women (possibility connecting childbearing and the raising of crops) would build leafy shelters and furnish them with couches made with plants. On the second day they fasted. On the third day a feast was held and offerings to the goddess Demeter were made - gifts of seed corn, cakes, fruit, and pigs. It was hoped that Demeter's gratitude would grant them a good harvest. The Romans The Romans also celebrated a harvest festival called Cerelia, which honored Ceres their goddess of corn (from which the word cereal comes). The festival was held each year on October 4th and offerings of the first fruits of the harvest and pigs were offered to Ceres. Their celebration included music, parades, games and sports and a thanksgiving feast. The Chinese The ancient Chinese celebrated their harvest festival, Chung Ch'ui, with the full moon that fell on the 15th day of the 8th month. This day was considered the birthday of the moon and special "moon cakes", round and yellow like the moon, would be baked. Each cake was stamped with the picture of a rabbit - as it was a rabbit, not a man, which the Chinese saw on the face of the moon. The families ate a thanksgiving meal and feasted on roasted pig, harvested fruits and the "moon cakes". It was believed that during the 3 day festival flowers would fall from the moon and those who saw them would be rewarded with good fortune. According to legend Chung Ch'ui also gave thanks for another special occasion. China had been conquered by enemy armies who took control of the Chinese homes and food. The Chinese found themselves homeless and with no food. Many staved. In order to free themselves they decided to attack the invaders. The women baked special moon cakes which were distributed to every family. In each cake was a secret message which contained the time for the attack. When the time came the invaders were surprised and easily defeated. Every year moon cakes are eaten in memory of this victory. The Hebrews Jewish families also celebrate a harvest festival called Sukkoth. Taking place each autumn, Sukkoth has been celebrated for over 3000 years. Sukkoth is know by 2 names - Hag ha Succot - the Feast of the Tabernacles and Hag ha Asif - the Feast of Ingathering. Sukkoth begins on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Tishri, 5 days after Yom Kippur the most solemn day of the Jewish year. Sukkoth is named for the huts (succots) that Moses and the Israelites lived in as they wandered the desert for 40 years before they reached the Promised Land. These huts were made of branches and were easy to assemble, take apart, and carry as the Israelites wandered through the desert. When celebrating Sukkoth, which lasts for 8 days, the Jewish people build small huts of branches which recall the tabernacles of their ancestors. These huts are constructed as temporary shelters, as the branches are not driven into the ground and the roof is covered with foliage which is spaced to let the light in. Inside the huts are hung fruits and vegetables, including apples, grapes, corn, and pomegranates. On the first 2 nights of Sukkoth the families eat their meals in the huts under the evening sky. The Egyptians The ancient Egyptians celebrated their harvest festival in honor of Min, their god of vegetation and fertility. The festival was held in the springtime, the Egyptian's harvest season. The festival of Min featured a parade in which the Pharaoh took part. After the parade a great feast was held. Music, dancing, and sports were also part of the celebration. When the Egyptian farmers harvested their corn, they wept and pretended to be grief-stricken. This was to deceive the spirit which they believed lived in the corn. They feared the spirit would become angry when the farmers cut down the corn where it lived. 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 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. During the American Revolution (late 1770's) a day of national thanksgiving was suggested by the Continental Congress. 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. Since then each president has issued a Thanksgiving Day proclamation, usually designating the fourth Thursday of each November as the holiday. Canada Thanksgiving in Canada is celebrated on the second Monday in October. Observance of the day began in 1879.

The Pilgrims, who celebrated the first thanksgiving in America, were fleeing religious prosecution in their native England. In 1609 a group of Pilgrims left England for the religious freedom in Holland where they lived and prospered. After a few years their children were speaking Dutch and had become attached to the Dutch way of life. This worried the Pilgrims. They considered the Dutch frivolous and their ideas a threat to their children's education and morality. So they decided to leave Holland and travel to the New World. Their trip was financed by a group of English investors, the Merchant Adventurers. It was agreed that the Pilgrims would be given passage and supplies in exchange for their working for their backers for 7 years. On Sept. 6, 1620 the Pilgrims set sail for the New World on a ship called the Mayflower. They sailed from Plymouth, England and aboard were 44 Pilgrims, who called themselves the "Saints", and 66 others ,whom the Pilgrims called the "Strangers." The long trip was cold and damp and took 65 days. Since there was the danger of fire on the wooden ship, the food had to be eaten cold. Many passengers became sick and one person died by the time land was sighted on November 10th. The long trip led to many disagreements between the "Saints" and the "Strangers". After land was sighted a meeting was held and an agreement was worked out, called the Mayflower Compact, which guaranteed equality and unified the two groups. They joined together and named themselves the "Pilgrims." Although they had first sighted land off Cape Cod they did not settle until they arrived at Plymouth, which had been named by Captain John Smith in 1614. It was there that the Pilgrims decide to settle. Plymouth offered an excellent harbor. A large brook offered a resource for fish. The Pilgrims biggest concern was attack by the local Native American Indians. But the Patuxets were a peaceful group and did not prove to be a threat. The first winter was devastating to the Pilgrims. The cold, snow and sleet was exceptionally heavy, interfering with the workers as they tried to construct their settlement. March brought warmer weather and the health of the Pilgrims improved, but many had died during the long winter. Of the 110 Pilgrims and crew who left England, less that 50 survived the first winter. On March 16, 1621 , what was to become an important event took place, an Indian brave walked into the Plymouth settlement. The Pilgrims were frightened until the Indian called out "Welcome" (in English!). His name was Samoset and he was an Abnaki Indian. He had learned English from the captains of fishing boats that had sailed off the coast. After staying the night Samoset left the next day. He soon returned with another Indian named Squanto who spoke better English than Samoset. Squanto told the Pilgrims of his voyages across the ocean and his visits to England and Spain. It was in England where he had learned English. Squanto's importance to the Pilgrims was enormous and it can be said that they would not have survived without his help. It was Squanto who taught the Pilgrims how to tap the maple trees for sap. He taught them which plants were poisonous and which had medicinal powers. He taught them how to plant the Indian corn by heaping the earth into low mounds with several seeds and fish in each mound. The decaying fish fertilized the corn. He also taught them to plant other crops with the corn. The harvest in October was very successful and the Pilgrims found themselves with enough food to put away for the winter. There was corn, fruits and vegetables, fish to be packed in salt, and meat to be cured over smoky fires. The Pilgrims had much to celebrate, they had built homes in the wilderness, they had raised enough crops to keep them alive during the long coming winter, they were at peace with their Indian neighbors. They had beaten the odds and it was time to celebrate. The Pilgrim Governor William Bradford proclaimed a day of thanksgiving to be shared by all the colonists and the neighboring Native Americans. They invited Squanto and the other Indians to join them in their celebration. Their chief, Massasoit, and 90 braves came to the celebration which lasted for 3 days. They played games, ran races, marched and played drums. The Indians demonstrated their skills with the bow and arrow and the Pilgrims demonstrated their musket skills. Exactly when the festival took place is uncertain, but it is believed the celebration took place in mid-October. The following year the Pilgrims harvest was not as bountiful, as they were still unused to growing the corn. During the year they had also shared their stored food with newcomers and the Pilgrims ran short of food. The 3rd year brought a spring and summer that was hot and dry with the crops dying in the fields. Governor Bradford ordered a day of fasting and prayer, and it was soon thereafter that the rain came. To celebrate - November 29th of that year was proclaimed a day of thanksgiving. This date is believed to be the real true beginning of the present day Thanksgiving Day. The custom of an annually celebrated thanksgiving, held after the harvest, continued through the years. During the American Revolution (late 1770's) a day of national thanksgiving was suggested by the Continental Congress. In 1817 New York State had 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. Since then each president has issued a Thanksgiving Day proclamation, usually designating the fourth Thursday of each November as the holiday.

"Thanksgiving Day" By Lydia Maria Child Over the river and through the wood, To grandfather's house we'll go; The horse knows the way To carry the sleigh Through the white and drifted snow. Over the river and through the wood,-- Oh, how the wind does blow! It stings the toes And bites the nose As over the ground we go. Over the river and through the wood, To have a first-rate play, Hear the bells ring "Ting-a-ling-ding!" Hurrah for Thanksgiving Day! Over the river and through the wood, Trot fast, my dapple gray! Spring over the ground Like a hunting hound! For this is Thanksgiving Day! Over the river and through the wood, And straight through the barnyard gate; We seem to go Extremely slow; It is so hard to wait! Over the river and through the wood, Now grandmother's cap I spy! Hurrah for the fun! Is the pudding done? Hurrah for the Pumpkin Pie!

"The Pilgrims Came" By Annette Wynne The Pilgrims came across the sea, And never thought of you and me; And yet it's very strange the way We think of them Thanksgiving Day. We tell their story, old and true, Of how they sailed across the blue, And found a new land to be free And built their homes quite near the sea. Every child knows well the tale Of how they bravely turned the sail, And journeyed many a day and night, To worship God as they thought right. The people think that they were sad, And grave; I'm sure that they were glad-- They made Thanksgiving Day--that's fun-- We thank the Pilgrims, every one!

On Thanksgiving Day, American Families gather around tables laden with food and give thanks for the blessing of the past year. In kitchens across the continent women bustle about, preparing turkey, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. This American holiday has been celebrated since the Pilgrims first set aside an occasion to thank God for a plentiful harvest. The pilgrims held the first Thanksgiving festival at Plymouth, Massachusetts, in October, 1621. The bitter winter of 1620, when the ship "Mayflower" had brought them to a new country, was over. They had known hunger, and sickness had carried away half the band of about 100 settlers. But life was better now. The seeds sown early in 1621 had produced a harvest that allowed them to increase their scanty rations. The settlers were enjoying good health. Work was going ahead on the houses they were building along Town Brook. They walked peacefully and safely in the woods, for they had made friends with the Indians and signed a long-lasting peace treaty with Massasoit, head chief of the Wampanoags. Because of their good fortune, the Pilgrims decreed a holiday on which all might, "after a more special manner, rejoice together." Governor Bradford sent four men to shoot waterfowl and wild turkeys. The women worked hard cooking the food. Chief Massasoit was invited to the feast, and he brought with him 90 brightly painted braves--about four times the number of Pilgrim men. Some of Massasoit's men made themselves useful, going into the forest and bagging five deer. It was a gay open-air festival, held in the field along the north bank of Town Brook. There were games of skill and chance. The Indians entertained with some of their dances. Captain Miles Standish staged a military review of his tiny force. There was target shooting with bows and arrows and firearms. For 3 days the festivities went on, with the Pilgrims and their guests gorging themselves on venison cooked on a spit over a blazing open fire, roast ducks and geese, clams and other shellfish, smoked eel, groundnuts (a kind of potatolike root) baked in hot ashes, peas, salad greens, herbs, corn pones, and Injun (corn-rye) bread. The pilgrims served wine made from wild grapes. There were cranberries by the bushel in neighboring bogs. But it is doubtful that the Pilgrims had yet found a tasty way of using them. It is also doubtful that the feast included another tasty invention - pumpkin pie. If such pie was served, it is certain that it was not topped with rich whipped cream, for the Pilgrims had no cows as yet and would not have any for another 3 years. After the first New England Thanksgiving the custom spread throughout the colonies, but each region chose its own date. In 1789 George Washington, the first president of the United States, proclaimed November 26 a day of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving day continued to be celebrated in the United States on different days in different states until Mrs. Sarah Josepha Hale, editor of Godey's Lady's Book, decided to do something about it. For more than 30 years she wrote letters to the governors and presidents asking them to make Thanksgiving Day a national holiday. Finally, in 1863, President Lincoln issued a White House proclamation calling on the "whole American people" wherever they lived to unite "with one heart and one voice" in observing a special day of thanksgiving. Setting apart the last Thursday of November for the purpose, the President urged prayers in the churches and in the homes to "implore the interposition of the almighty had to heal the wounds of the nations and to restore it...to full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and union." He also states that they express heartfeld thanks for the "blessing of fruitful fields and healthful skies." In 1939 President Franklin D. Roosevelt advanced Thanksgiving Day one week. However, since some states used the new date and others the old, it was changed again 2 years later. Thanksgiving Day is now celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. The theme of Thanksgiving has always been peace and plenty, health and happiness. To be truly observed, it involves not merely "thanks" but "giving", too. It is a time for special generosity in remembering and helping the less fortunate. By George F. Willison, Author, Saints and Strangers; Lives of Pilgrim Fathers and Their Families Noteworth information: ***It has been pointed out that George Washington did this as a "one time only" thing in 1789, and it was to celebrate the new Constitution. It was not an annual event since Washington's successors let it drop completely. Additional Side Note : ***The reason Franklin D. Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving from the last Thursday of November..was commercialism. He hoped to woo retailers, who complained that they needed more time to "make proper provision for the Christmas Rush." This move of the date outraged a few folks, notable Republicans, who claimed Roosevelt was trampling sacred traditions. For two years, people celebrated Thanksgiving on one of two different days, depending on their political inclinations!