30 years ago — November 17, 1986
“Despite the religious origin of a day of thanksgiving, the dates for celebrating it, in this part of the world at least, are determined by secular authorities. … This was not always the case. … Farmers … were tied to a cycle of planting and harvesting, and when the harvest were good they and the people dependent upon them for food celebrated with festivals of thanksgiving.” Our thanksgiving traditions are tied to the events of Massachusetts and Virginia and the struggles of the early colonists to survive. Out of the 101 pilgrims at Plymouth, 44 died that first winter. They “knew as they planted crops that spring that without a good harvest few of them would survive the following winter. The first harvest was not spectacular, but it was adequate, and when it was completed, their governor, William Bradford, declared a day of thanksgiving and prayer. … They lived in a time and place when it was easier to realize how dependent we are on God’s grace.”
From “The fortunate pilgrims,” a guest editorial by Saul Bogan
