A time to be thankful…..Wednesday edition :)

 

 

If you read my blog regularly, you know that yesterday I posted a countdown to my favorite holiday (Yes, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and this year, I have been reminded that it is a Christian holiday, and not just “turkey day” or “the day before the big sale” or “the day of the big game” (and like I mentioned in yesterday’s post, YES, we do watch football on Thanksgiving, and it is part of our tradition, but it isn’t the center of the day…..never has been…..if our tv went out next Wednesday night, we wouldn’t be rushing to buy a new tv for the game on Thanksgiving :)), etc…..Thanksgiving is just that, a day that we, as Americans are called to give thanks! And for my blessed readers in other parts of the world that don’t celebrate a formal Thanksgiving, you really can make a Thanksgiving tradition in your own home, according to your own cultures and start your own tradition of spending a day devoted to giving thanks to God for all that He has blessed you with!

 

Today I wanted to share a few different things with you….I know that I have different people with different interests, etc reading my blog, and today’s entry, I hope, will appeal to a good range of interests in my readers 🙂 (And my kiddos…..they love to read Mom’s blog 🙂 ).

 

First of all a little history lesson….we all know about the “First Thanksgiving” celebrated by the Pilgrims, but how did it become an official American holiday? I learned several years ago that the first time that Thanksgiving was submitted as an official National holiday in the USA was during the American Civil War, and that proclamation was made by President Abraham Lincoln (the following are quotes from Wikipedia) .

In the middle of the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln, prompted by a series of editorials written by Sarah Josepha Hale,^[2] proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day, to be celebrated on the final Thursday in November 1863:

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The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle, or the ship; the axe had enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years, with large increase of freedom.No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the city of Washington, this third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the independence of the United States the eighty-eighth.” Proclamation of President Abraham Lincoln, 3 October 1863.

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Since 1863, Thanksgiving has been observed annually in the United States.

But when doing some research for this entry, I found that the first official proclamation about Thanksgiving was actually made by our very first President, President George Washington…..

As President, on October 3rd 1789, George Washington stated the following proclamation and created the first Thanksgiving Day designated by the national government of the United States of America:

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Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor, and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me “to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be. That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks, for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation, for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war, for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed, for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions, to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually, to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed, to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord. To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and Us, and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best. Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

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George Washington again proclaimed a Thanksgiving in 1795.

Just a little note before I move onto the next portion of this entry…..I find it interesting that both Presidents Washington and Lincoln declared it as a day to acknowledge the sovereignty of “Almighty God” and to give Him thanks. In today’s United States of America it is becoming less and less of a “Christian nation”….even though that is how our young nation was founded….on principles of Christianity, and 2 of our early national leaders made declarations to that account.

Ok, the next thing I want to share is a couple of recipes that I have posted here before, but will share again, because they are part of our Thanksgiving table normally.

Brined Roasted “Bird” (the recipe is for a chicken, but I use this same recipe and same technique with our turkeys)

Pumpkin Pie Cake and Dairy Free Pumpkin Ice Cream (for a different twist to the traditional desserts)

Spiced Cranberry Relish

and last but not least, one of my honey’s favorite parts of any holiday meal….

D’s Special Peas

I do have more recipes to share, but will spread those out over the week 🙂

Well, that is all that I have time to share today….BUT in my home today in preparation of Thanksgiving, I will be washing down the walls in the kitchen, cleaning the kitchen window, and making pie crust dough to put into the freezer to make the pie baking for my bread customers easier next week. I will also get out the construction paper and scissors and leaf templates and have the kiddos start cutting out leaves for our Thanksgiving Tree (more about that tomorrow). To read more about how others are preparing their hearts and homes for this special day in God’s creation, you can visit Kelli’s blog by clicking on the “Giving Thanks” banner above….and THANK YOU Kelli for sharing this with all of “Blogland”.

 

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