AMERICAN THANKSGIVING DAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 11543, 30 November 1900, Page 4

AMERICAN THANKSGIVING DAY.

The close relations of Auckland with the United States make the social life of our American neighbours of great interest to us. Yesterday, the American " Thanksgiving Day" is the great domestic festival of the United States. In the Eastern States it quite surpasses Christmas in importance, and rivals it throughout the <Jforth. This, of course, has arisen owing to the original Puritanic objection to the celebration of the great church festivals, an objection which prevents the great English holiday being kept with the same enthusiasm north of the Tweed. The Scotch practically transferred their affections to New Year. The New England colonies transferred theirs to what is practically an adaptation of the English " Haxwest Home," and has become a national declaration of thankfulness for . the mercies of the past year, of which advantage is taken to reunite families and make that periodic relaxation of formality, so necessary to all mankind, however Puritanic and self-controlled. The original " Thanksgiving Day" was kept by the Pilgrim Fathers in 1621, from which our readers will see that it has the most authoritative claim to American recognition. Gradually, it has won official notice. During the Revolution, Congress set apart thanksgiving days and on special occasions, as after the war of 1776 and 1812-15, this precedent was followed. As early as 1789 the Episcopal Church formally accepted it as a church festival, and 100 years later, in 1888, the Roman Catholic Church did the same. Since 1863, the custom has been established of making the last Thursday in November the national "Thanksgiving Day," by Presidential proclamation. The Governors of the various States make similar proclamations. Roast beef and plum pudding are the great English Christmas dishes, and Thanksgiving Day has its similar custom. The American citizen who did not eat roast turkey and mince pies yesterday felt that to him Fate had been particularly unkind.