Thanksgiving Traditions

By Kate Mutch, Public Services Librarian

November 15, 2006

Did you know that Pilgrims never held an autumn “Thanksgiving” dinner, according to historical sources?  However, they did hold a feast to celebrate their first harvest in 1621. For the Pilgrims, a day of Thanksgiving would likely have been one of prayer and fasting, not feasting and celebrating.  Historians speculate the Pilgrims never repeated this event.

Years later, George Washington declared November 26, 1789 a national day of prayer and thanksgiving. This proclamation was made annually until the 1800s, when it fell by the wayside. Thanksgiving found its way into the national calendar again in 1863 through the efforts of one woman.  After 38 years of petitioning several presidents, Sarah Josepha Hale encouraged Abraham Lincoln to set aside the last Thursday in November “as a day for national thanksgiving and prayer.”

In the years since 1863, Thanksgiving has become a favorite holiday for many, filled with traditions, food, and of course, family. Your library would like to help you create a festive holiday, whatever your Thanksgiving traditions may be.  Among the resources is Laurie Halse Anderson’s “Thank You, Sarah!!!: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving,” detailing Sarah’s successful fight to transform Thanksgiving Day into a national holiday.

If you are hoping to create a memorable meal this season, try “Thanksgiving” by Michael McLaughlin. Filled with beautiful photographs and easy-to-follow recipes, this book is sure to inspire both new and experienced cooks as they prepare turkey dinners, chestnut stuffing and other tempting side dishes.

For additional feast ideas, check out Rick Rodger’s “Thanksgiving 101: Celebrate America's Favorite Holiday With America's Thanksgiving Expert.”  This handy book provides the soup-to-nuts details for a simple traditional meal or large buffet, including suggested menus with timetables.

Perhaps your family tradition includes creating Thanksgiving crafts together.  Do you need some fresh ideas for this year’s crafts? Two books by Kathy Ross, “Crafts to Make in the Fall,” and “All New Crafts for Thanksgiving” might spark your artistic flame.  Another good choice is Arelene Erlbach’s “ Thanksgiving Day Crafts,” which has easy directions to make miniature pilgrims, a “leaves in the wind” glitter globe, and eight other fun crafts suitable for all ages.

If you are a parade-goer, New York might be a little far to travel to see the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.  Check out “America's parade: a celebration of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade ” to enjoy photos of some of the finest floats that have marched down Broadway since 1924. Glancing through this book, one can almost hear the marching bands and feel the chill of the New York air as the Thanskgiving parade ushers in the holiday season.

Sarah Hale’s desire to make Thanksgiving a national holiday was fueled by the belief that it would preserve the Union, with all the states celebrating on the same day, a shared time of giving thanks. One hundred forty-three years later, the United States of America is still celebrating the fourth Thursday of each November with family, food, and reflection on all there is to be thankful for. However you celebrate, your Natrona County Public Library has resources to help you observe the day.  Happy Thanksgiving!

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