11.22.23
Thanksgiving- from England to America
In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you (I Thessalonians 5:18).
This is the second in our look at the history of Thanksgiving. Last week we saw its origin in the Old Testament. Today we trace its path from England to America.
England was blessed with a Christian heritage via King Alfred, who reigned in the ninth century AD. He is the only king called “the Great” of all the kings England ever had. He made the Law of God the basis of England’s civil law and heritage. His .Code of Laws. included the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes of Matthew 5. During his day, just about everyone could recite the Ten Commandments. This mixture of OT Law and NT precept became the basis of what we now know as ‘common law’—guidelines that should rule any civilized society.\
England celebrated a fall harvest festival. This was influenced by the biblical Feast of Tabernacles that the Jews celebrated at the end of each harvest. We talked about this last week. The Pilgrims were well aware of this harvest festival and its biblical roots by the time that they decided to leave England.
After several attempts, they first fled to Holland. Once there, they made application to settle in the New World. Finally the trip was made, but with a very difficult voyage including the loss of one of their ships. None of these things seemed to discourage them. The record states that they kept their hope in God and rejoiced in Him even in the midst of all of their trials.
The first Thanksgiving was celebrated in the fall of 1621. This was an act of gratitude to God for keeping them through a most difficult winter, when many died. It was patterned after the English harvest festival, with the mixing of joy over God’s provisions of their harvest and the sorrow of the hardships endured.
Governor Bradford’s words express the blessing of that first harvest: “They began now to gather in the small harvest they had, and to fit up their houses and dwellings against winter, being all well recovered in health and strength and had all things in good plenty. All the summer there was no want, and now began to come in store of fowl as winter approached. And besides waterfowl, there was great store of wild turkeys, of which they took many, besides venison. Besides they had about a peck of meal a week to a person.”
A first-hand account of the first Thanksgiving meal is preserved from the pen of Edward Winslow: “Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might, after a special manner, rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, amongst our recreations, many of the Indians came amongst us, and their greatest king, Massasoit, with some 90 men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted; and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation, and bestowed on our governor… and others.”
As we celebrate Thanksgiving this year, let us be mindful of the roots of this holiday tradition, and take time to show gratitude to God, who gave us His Son, and who is the source of all blessings!
[Information gleaned from The Plymouth Rock Foundation]