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Thanksgiving is a time for reflection, gratitude, and connecting with loved ones. In this issue, I'm taking a look at how Thanksgiving has evolved over the years with a piece on Thanksgiving Then and Now. It’s a reminder of how resilience and gratitude have carried generations through challenges, inspiring us to appreciate our blessings today.
To add some zest to your holiday table, I also include a couple of heartfelt Thanksgiving poems, perfect for sharing at your gathering.
Wishing you a holiday filled with love, laughter, and the joy of good food and good company!
Happy Thanksgiving,
Terri
Terri
Thanksgiving Then and Now
Thanksgiving has evolved over time, shaped by historical events and traditions. In 1789, President George Washington declared the last Thursday in November as a day of public thanks for the new republic and Constitution, but the idea didn’t catch on.
Years later, Sarah Hale, author of Mary Had a Little Lamb, campaigned to make Thanksgiving a national holiday. Her efforts paid off in 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln, during the Civil War, revived the tradition. This time, it became a lasting annual event.
In 1901, President Theodore Roosevelt officially designated the fourth Thursday of November as a day to give thanks for the nation’s blessings. In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved it up a week to boost holiday shopping during the Great Depression, but resistance led to the fourth Thursday being legally set as Thanksgiving in 1941.
Today, Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude, family, and food, though its history reveals how tradition and circumstances have shaped this beloved holiday.
Good Times
At the start of the 20th century, America’s confidence and prosperity were reflected in grand Thanksgiving celebrations. In 1900, New York’s Park Avenue Hotel offered a lavish menu featuring oysters, salmon, lamb, quail, turkey, and a wide range of sides, desserts, and drinks. Meanwhile, Good Housekeeping magazine suggested a simpler, more familiar menu for middle-class families: turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie.
During Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency, two Thanksgiving stories reveal his character and the era. In 1902, while workers rushed to finish the White House’s West Wing, Roosevelt insisted they take a break and enjoy food from the White House kitchen.
Two years later, the Boston Herald falsely claimed Roosevelt let his children chase and torment a live Thanksgiving turkey on the White House lawn. In reality, the bird arrived fully prepared for cooking. Outraged, Roosevelt’s secretary denied the story, and Roosevelt refused to interact with the paper for the rest of his presidency. It’s a reminder that false media reports aren’t new!
Tough Times
In 1933, turkey cost $0.23 a pound, but with wages at just $0.53 an hour, a Thanksgiving dinner for six—about $5.50—could take 10 hours of work or more. To save money, many families swapped turkey for cheaper options. Old chickens were slow-cooked to tenderize them, oyster stew was replaced with sweet potatoes, and canned vegetables like peas and green beans were added. Instead of pumpkin pie, families made Hoosier cream pie, a simple dessert of milk, sugar, and butter. Despite these changes, the spirit of Thanksgiving endured.
Wartime
World War II brought challenges to Thanksgiving celebrations. Food shortages and gas rationing made visits and traditional meals difficult, while many families had empty chairs with loved ones away in the military. Still, Americans found ways to brighten the holiday. Vegetables from “victory gardens” were canned for meals, and soldiers near military bases were often invited to share Thanksgiving dinner. Organizations like the USO hosted meals, games, and dances, while communities raised funds for prisoners of war.
Norman Rockwell’s famous painting, Freedom From Want, became a symbol of the holiday, showing a happy family around the table and reminding people what they were fighting for. By Thanksgiving 1944, the war was turning in favor of the Allies. A newspaper editorial summed up the spirit of the day, urging gratitude for the sacrifices of soldiers, the hope of victory, and the promise of peace to come. Thanksgiving during the war years remained focused on one key word: grateful.
Thanking the Thankful
President Washington called for Thanksgiving after years of war, and President Lincoln did the same during the Civil War. Our ancestors celebrated through the hardships of the Great Depression and World War II, despite loss and grief.
Today, as we face challenges of our own, it may feel hard to focus on gratitude. We may wonder what kind of world our children will inherit. But this Thanksgiving, perhaps we can draw inspiration from those who came before us—their gratitude and resilience in difficult times.
As Willie Nelson once said, “When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.”
Thanksgiving is the perfect time to take that step, remembering our blessings and finding strength for the future.
The First Thanksgiving Day
"And now," said the Governor, gazing
abroad on the piled-up store
Of the sheaves that dotted the clearings
and covered the meadows o'er.
"'Tis meet that we render praise because
of the yield of grain;
And therefore, I, William Bradford, (by
the grace of God to-day,
And the franchise of this good people),
Governor of Plymouth, say,
Through virtue of vested power, - Ye
shall gather with one accord,
And hold in the month November,
Thanksgiving unto the Lord."
So shoulder your matchlocks, masters,
there is hunting of all degrees;
And fishermen, take your tackle and
scour, for spoil, the seas;
And maidens and dames of Plymouth,
your delicate crafts employ
To honor our First Thanksgiving, and
make it a feast of joy.
- Margaret J. Preston
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