VOL. 6, NO. 5
NOV. 20, 1964

Thanksgiving to be observed this Nov. 26th
Every year on the last Thursday in November, American families sit down to a Thanksgiving dinner of turkey, dressing cranberries, and pumpkin pie. They traditionally feast and offer prayer for blessings they may have received.

The first Thanksgiving celebrated in 1621, less than a year after the Plymouth colonists settled in the new land, was celebrated for almost the same reason as it is today. The first winter killed nearly half of the colony, but new hope grew in the summer of 1621. Governor William Bradford 		declared a three-day feast to give thanks for the good harvest. For this reason the holiday is still celebrated in late fall. The feast became an annual celebration with the Pilgrims and their heirs.

During the Revolutionary War eight special days of thanks were observed for victories and for being saved from danger. On Nov. 26th, 1789, General George Washington issued a general proclamation for a day of thanks. Since then our presidents have set the date for Thanksgiving and proclaimed it a holiday.