History.com, "October, 3, 1863 Lincoln proclaims official Thanksgiving holiday."
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| Happy Thanksgiving! A day to appreciate the value of life, our families, friends, and our community. |
The speech, which was actually written by Secretary of State William Seward, declared that the fourth Thursday of every November thereafter would be considered an official U.S. holiday of Thanksgiving. This announcement harkened back to when George Washington was in his first term as the first president in 1789 and the young American nation had only a few years earlier emerged from the American Revolution. At that time, George Washington called for an official celebratory “day of public thanksgiving and prayer.” While Congress overwhelmingly agreed to Washington’s suggestion, the holiday did not yet become an annual event.
Thomas Jefferson, the third president, felt that public demonstrations of piety to a higher power, like that celebrated at Thanksgiving, were inappropriate in a nation based in part on the separation of church and state. Subsequent presidents agreed with him. In fact, no official Thanksgiving proclamation was issued by any president between 1815 and the day Lincoln took the opportunity to thank the Union Army and God for a shift in the country’s fortunes on this day in 1863.
The fourth Thursday of November remained the annual day of Thanksgiving from 1863 until 1939. Then, at the tail-end of the Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, hoping to boost the economy by providing shoppers and merchants a few extra days to conduct business between the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, moved Thanksgiving to November’s third Thursday. In 1941, however, Roosevelt bowed to Congress’ insistence that the fourth Thursday of November be re-set permanently, without alteration, as the official Thanksgiving holiday."
Related, videos. History.com/Thanksgiving videos, ... "While today’s Thanksgiving celebrations would likely be unrecognizable to attendees of the original 1621 harvest meal, it continues to be a day for Americans to come together around the table—albeit with some updates to pilgrim’s menu." Related article. The Telegraph news/Cameron Macphail,UK, 11/25/15,"Thanksgiving: What is the history of the holiday and why does the US celebrate with turkey? "... While Britons think of it as a warm-up for the Yuletide period, many Americans think it of it as just as important as Christmas .In fact, more people in the US celebrate Thanksgiving than do Christmas. Thanksgiving Day is secular holiday in a country that officially separates church and state so this probably makes sense."
Note painting for the First Thanksgiving 1621 by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris (1899) from the related Telegraph news article (above).
Posted by Kathy Meeh
10 comments:
I suggest the City of Pacifica authorize the purchase of a twenty five pound turkey for every employee.
Every year the cost of food goes up and some employees can only afford an eighteen or nineteen pound turkey.
Its important to attract and retain key employees from outside of Pacifica that we create a cradle to grave welfare system where all city employees are insured against making poor financial choices in their lives.
While we're at it, next year we should buy every employee a Toyota Prius because it will help prevent global warming.
From the moment you are hired by the City of Pacifica, you should automatically be take care of you for the rest of your life by the tax dollars of the citizens of Pacifica.
It is only fair.
@10:39-
You're on to something! But why stop there? Why not take it a step or two further and follow the example of the science, technology, engineering and mathematics industries (STEM) with respect to workforce? Since the Bill Gates' and Mark Zuckerbergs of the private sector world are held up as icons/role models, why not follow their paradigm with respect to hiring public sector employees? So what say we do for Pacifica what they have been doing in STEM for many years and replace the entire Pacifica City staff with better educated, less expensive and "could care less where they live" foreign workers through the H-1B Visa program? And if you are worried whether they will know how to do the job, we can borrow from the likes of Disney, Intel, HP, etc. and force the current staff to train the foreign workers before we fire them. Works for me...
Now we're thinking. Fire all employees and replace them with undocumented workers. Pay minimum wage. No need to pay pensions or any benefits. We could save a lot of money from those greedy, entitled public employees and get rid of the unions at the same time.
10:39
Why not buy every resident in Pacifica a turkey?
1249 According to the rest of the county, every resident of Pacifica is a turkey.
1224 Why not take it a step further and have everyone in Pacifica quit their job? The great thing about this plan, to paraphrase former Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi,
"...if you want to be creative and be a musician or whatever, you can leave your work, focus on your talent, your skill, your passion, your aspirations because you will benefit from the social welfare net funded by the few remaining taxpayers."
Just think what a boost this would be for The Spindrift Players, not to mention our economy! Heck, people will come to Pacifica from all over just to see the fabulous art produced in the uber Bohemian City of Pacifica. In fact, I'll bet Pacifica will become the Number 2 tourist destination in North America, second only to "The Field of Dreams" in Iowa!
what a buzz kill you anon are. I just finishes a wonderful dinner with good friends and come on line to see that all you have to say are nasty things about the City of Pacifica. Give it a rest for one day an you might find a little happiness.
Aww, Tom. Pay those anon no mind. It's probably just a couple of jerks huddled over their shared turkey carcass giving vent to their personal misery. 24/7. No one regrets their birth near as much as they do. Happy Holidays!
Why is it that South San Francisco with millions in tax surplus can be very thankful;while Pacifica struggles with citizens being evicted?
Because South San Francisco knew it had to adapt to the times.
It was once the Industrial city, when Industry started to shut down it adapted and brought in Bio Tech.
Pacifica is still dying on the vine.
Location and accessibility are important for industry and commercial development. SSF has both, we have neither one. But be of good cheer because we will be surrounded by nice scenery as we circle the drain. Sitting on a gold mine. LMAO.
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