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Highlands Today

Happy day before Black Friday

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By Norm Cukras | Highlands Today

Published: November 20, 2009

With retailers advertising Christmas sales earlier and earlier each year it seems as if Thanksgiving is getting lost in the shuffle. There was a time when Thanksgiving was treated more as a day of remembrance than just a day off giving people an opportunity to plan on how and where they were going to shop on the following morning.

There was a time when we relived the arrival of the Mayflower and the landing of the pilgrims back in 1620 with pageants and parades. Now I suppose there will be the critics who will hold court in the elementary schools to assess the negative impact the 102 pilgrims (who were actually separatists and not referred to as pilgrims until 180 years later) had on the indigenous inhabitants. Although only half of the intruders were alive when the first thanksgiving feast (that lasted three days) took place a year later.

Winters are harsh up there, which is why today so many New Englanders migrate to Highlands County when the frost is on the pumpkin.

There is no record of the pilgrim's effect on the health of the Indian population.

There was no Thanksgiving held in 1622 but one was held the following year. After that the event wasn't celebrated again for 59 years, at which time the Indians were not invited. So much for political correctness.

But when that second Thanksgiving was held in 1623, the pilgrims had gained a new member: it was the ship's cooper, a young lad by the name of John Alden. Yes that, "Speak for yourself John Alden" who won the hand of the fair Priscilla Mullins. Priscilla had traveled with her parents and a younger brother, all of whom died that first winter – so she needed someone to look over her and John came to her rescue. The prolific couple was to have 10 or 11 children. While Priscilla's death date is not recorded, John lived to the ripe old age of 88.

At long last

The whole concept of a national Thanksgiving has been an uphill battle. In a rare display of unity, all the 13 colonies got together in October 1777 to give thanks - but again it was decided that once is enough. But as soon as he was elected president in 1789 George Washington proclaimed a National Day of Thanksgiving. But a celebration day of thanksgiving was not universally accepted. When Thomas Jefferson got into office (1801) he scoffed, "What a National Holiday for a few Pilgrims who suffered some hardships?"

It wasn't until 1863 (the same year as Gettysburg Address) that Abe Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November as a national day of Thanksgiving. Two hundred and forty-two years after the legendary first one. The day of celebration was really at the mercy of the president until 1941 when Congress stepped in and finally sanctioned Thanksgiving as a legal holiday to be held on the fourth Thursday in November.

For the most part the Mayflower passengers were poorly educated farmers. And in response to claims by those who looked down their family trees at others because their ancestors came over on the Mayflower. Will Rogers, who was part Cherokee, remarked, "My ancestors didn't come over on the Mayflower, but they met the boat."

However

Until the November holiday is buried in the debris of some future cultural revolution or lost in the haste to stock the shelves with Christmas gifts, at least until that holiday is also buried in the debris of political correctness run amok, let us give thanks for the memories. Memories like when a little animated he and she salt and peppershakers, decorated with what the pilgrims wore, graced the tables of countless families gathered together to give thanks to their Great Provider.

Happy Thanksgiving.

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