The images of Thanksgiving Day include pilgrims and native Americans from the 1600s sharing a feast and celebration. This version of Thanksgiving may be taught in elementary school, but the holiday traditions of our modern Thanksgiving were first described by Ms. Sarah Josepha Hale in her 1827 novel, Northwood: A Tale of New England.
“…this was a Thanksgiving entertainment, one which was never before, I believe, served up in style to novel epicures, I may venture to mention some of the peculiarities of the festival… The roasted turkey took precedence on this occasion, being placed at the head of the table; and well did it become its lordly station, sending forth the rich odor of its savory stuffing, and finely covered with the frost of the basting…innumerable bowls of gravy and plates of vegetables…[and] a chicken pie. …a side table was literally loaded with the preparations for the second course, there was a huge plumb pudding, custards, and pies of every name and description ever known in Yankee land; yet the pumpkin pie occupied the most distinguished niche”
Ms. Hale was a remarkable woman of many talents. She was a combination of Martha Stewart and Oprah Winfrey of the 1800s. In addition to novels, Ms. Hale founded the Ladies Magazine and later was the editor of Godey’s Lady’s Book (a similar magazine) for over 40 years. She also wrote Mary Had a Little Lamb, in addition to being a widow with five children, and providing substantial contributions to the anti-slavery and woman’s suffrage movements.
Ms. Hale recognized the north-south divide in American politics and wanted to have a national holiday that would bring Americans together. She began lobbying legislators in the 1840s to establish a national thanksgiving holiday. Her efforts included writing to five different presidents and eventually 30 states celebrated a form of Thanksgiving. Finally, during the Civil War, President Lincoln responded to one of Ms. Hale’s letters in September 1863 and declared the last Thursday in November to be a national holiday.
Today, Thanksgiving is a uniquely patriotic holiday. It has that feeling of coming together as a nation with shared joys (family, friends, food and football), and giving thanks for all that we have. Americans come from all kinds of different backgrounds, races, religious beliefs, and other concerns, but Thanksgiving brings everyone together under a common sense of gratitude. While we can disagree on just about anything, Ms. Hale was right – we can all come together on Thanksgiving Day.
Jeff Bensch 