HAPPY THANKSGIVING IN AMERICA

The origins of candian thanksgiving are closely connected to traditions of europe than the usa. Long before europenas settled in north america festivals of thanks and celebration of harvesttook place in europe in october. The very first thanksgiving celebration took place in canada when martin frobisher an explorer from england arrived in newfoundland in 1578. He wanted to give thanks for his safe arrival in the new world. That means the first thanksgiving was celebrated in canada 43 years before the pilgims landed in plymouth, massachusetts. It was declared a national holiday in 1879. It was then that nov.6th was set aside as the official thanksgiving holiday. But then on jan 31 1957 candian parliament announced that on the 2nd monday in october thanksgiving would be a general thanksgiving to almighty god for the bountiful harvest with which canda had been blessed..it was moved to the second monday in october becasue after the world wars remembrance day and thanksgivng were in the same week.Another reason for canadian thanksging arrivng earlier than the american counterpart is canda is geographically further than the usa and since thanksgivng is more about giving thanks for the bountiful harvest season than the arrival of the pilgrims it makes sense to celebrate in october. there is not much difference at all with family gathering to-gether with parades turkey and pumpkin pie

15 Comments

You want history !!

by IAN MC - 2012-11-22 02:11:13

I feel very envious of you lot partying, so my young bride & I are about to have a glass of wine to join you in your celebrations.

For your info I have pasted below some stuff on the UK's celebration of the harvest :-


Harvest Festival is one of the oldest known festivals. In the UK it is traditionally held on or near the Sunday of the Harvest Moon. This moon is the full moon around the time of the Autumn Equinox in September. Unlike the USA and Canada, the UK does not have a national holiday for Harvest Festival.

The celebration of Harvest in Britain dates back to pre-Christian times when the success of the crop governed the lives of the people. Saxon farmers offered the first cut sheaf of corn to one of their gods of fertility, in order to safeguard a good harvest the following year. The last sheaf was thought to contain the Spirit of the Corn, and its cutting was usually accompanied by the ritual sacrifice of an animal - often a hare caught hiding in the corn. Later, a model hare made from straw was used to represent the continuity of the Spirit. This practice eventually led to the making of plaited 'corn dollies', symbolising the goddess of the grain. These were hung from the rafters in farmhouses until the next year. When the harvest was in, a celebratory supper was held to which the whole community was invited.

These traditions continued after christianity arrived in Britain, sometimes in a slightly different form, and there were ceremonies and rituals at the beginning as well as the end of the harvest and church bells were rung on every day of the harvest. A corn dolly was made from the last sheaf of corn harvested - a figure made of plaited straw, which was held aloft and carried with great ceremony to the celebrations - and it often had a place of honour at the banquet table, and was kept until the following spring. The horse bringing the last cart load was decorated with garlands of flowers and colourful ribbons. A magnificent harvest feast was held at the farmer's house and games played to celebrate the end of the harvest.

The tradition of celebrating Harvest Festival in churches began in 1843, when the Reverend Robert Hawker invited parishioners to a special thanksgiving service at his church at Morwenstow in Cornwall. This led to the custom of decorating churches with home-grown produce for the Harvest Festival service.

The traditional ways of celebrating the harvest still survive today in rural communities. Nowadays, children also take gifts of fruit and vegetables to church and present them during the harvest service whilst the harvest hymn 'We plough the fields and scatter the good seed on the land, But it is fed and watered by God's almighty hand' is sung. After the service, these gifts are distributed to the elderly and needy of the community.

Many schools also have a Harvest Festival assembly and the gifts of fruit and vegetables are distributed in the local community.


Don't drink too much !

Ian

hehe ian

by jessie - 2012-11-22 02:11:59

i have given up drink a good long time ago so no worries there. interesting your history. my best friend is from manchester but here in canada for many years. we met as young women where we both worked.so on my dads side we have an english great great grandfather but no history of him only that his name was james kilby and he immigrated but no record of this. he apparently made his way to buckingham quebec just outside ottawa our capital city of ontario and on the border of quebec and ontario. this is where my grandfather and grandmother married in 1900. my grandfather helped to build the rideau canal in ottawa. and then went on to become a diamond driller.on my grandmothers side they are definetely from wexford ireland the terrain is similar to newfoundland canda i am told. everything has changed in our countries since we grew up. not you as you are still young. jessie

Definition of Corn

by donr - 2012-11-22 03:11:39

Ian: I know that there can be confusion betwixt us'ns & You'ns over what we call corn.

Your historical piece mentioned a sheaf & corn, as we know it - I believe the European term is Maize - comes on tall, grassy stalks, whereas wheat & other grains come in sheaves.

You'd-a-been proud of our early settlers - they made likker out of corn (maize). We had a minor rebellion over that & taxes shortly after we rebelled against the Crown. Came during Washington's first term in office & had to be put down by armed force. Seems that the issue was TAXES on the likker. Hmmmmm, sounds like I heard that problem a few years earlier.

It is still a cottage industry in isolated locales in the wilderness, like North Georgia, where we live for "Moonshiners" to make illegal likker from corn. It's illegal because it has not had the taxes paid on it. MOF, we found the remnants of an illegal still out in the woods on our property. Moonshine is nearly 100% grain alcohol - about 180 proof, I think. Apparently makes pretty good paint remover .

You have all done pretty well !!

by Tattoo Man - 2012-11-22 03:11:48

I have read your History Essays avidly and must commend you all on your Research..Presentation and Spelling..

IAN..you have made sterling progress, particularly with your spelling, we know this a bit of a week spott with you....Well done IAN..some of your words were really quite long...Good Lad !

Overall these are the grades:

Jessie ( Swot ).....A Grade

IAN MC ( Snot )....B+ Grade

Don ( Scot ? )......B / Can do better....see me after Class

Now,..off and play nicely ! Tattoo-Teacher-Man
DISMISS !!

PS...no running in the corridors !


hahahah

by jessie - 2012-11-22 05:11:15

you are so funny i am so laughing. there was a man who used to criticize me if everything is not perfect. he is gone thank god! when i read it over i was sorry i had not corrected some things but he is not a member anymore so i was surprized to get an a haha wish he was still around. he would not like you.

haahahah

by pacergirl - 2012-11-22 09:11:06

Thanks Jessie, what a great way for me to end my Thanksgiving Day! Wonderful story and equally as wonderful posted responses!

We were invited to a friend's home for Thanksgiving dinner and it was the most unusual meal. Yes, there was turkey, sliced neatly on a platter and then the other food was tasty, but we could not recognize any of it! hahahah My hubby and i looked at one another and smiled and said Thank you! Our friends are as unique as we are and we celebrate that!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, especially our Canadian friends~

Pacergirl

Don..definition of "Corn"

by IAN MC - 2012-11-23 01:11:42

Thanks for pointing out the possible confusion re the tem
" corn", Outside of US and Canada, "corn" is a generic term and describes any cereal. So when we talk about cornfields we could be describing fields containing wheat,oats or barley. I wonder how it came about that your lot use the term just for maize ??

Cheers

Ian ( which is Scottish for " John" by the way )

PS. Just for your info "Tattoo Man" is not a common name in the UK and is possibly of Martian origin !

Happy Thanksgiving!

by Casper - 2012-11-23 02:11:29

Tattoo Man,

You're commentaries are hilarious, they remind me of my school days when I was a kid.

Casper


Corn for maize

by SaraTB - 2012-11-23 04:11:06

Ian, as a Brit in the USA, it puzzled me too, but it seems that when the early settlers arrived here, they were disappointed to find that they couldn't grow wheat - the varieties suited to England, at that time, didn't thrive here owing to the humidity, and they turned to maize, as the Indians showed them how to use it. Consequently, they simply called it corn, as the only grain they had, just as they would have called wheat 'corn' in England.
It was a very long time before settlers from Russia and Poland introduced wheat varieties that would survive the conditions here, and these are the kinds grown today.

This stuff is fun!

IAN IN BLACK

by Tattoo Man - 2012-11-23 04:11:19

People...my Identical Twin IAN has committed an act of great indiscretion by revealing to the World that, I, Tattoo Man, do indeed come from another planet.

Having come here all those years ago, from Mars, and having been assimilated into my rural community, to the point that I am Chairman of my Village Parish Council..you will understand that my being .'.Outed.'.by a Sibling, has wounded me to the very core of my Paced Heart.

Tongues are wagging at the Pub,...hitherto the villagers had accepted that the 'Stranger' was a perfectly nice old chap, that just happened to emit a soft green glow after dark.

If only I had one of those pens that Will Smith had in Men In Black I could ask them all down at The Five Bells to look while I clicked the red light at them.

Its going to be a tough time ahead....thanks a bunch IAN !

TM

Is it April fools day too?

by mandogrl - 2012-11-23 11:11:39

Yer all cracking me up!
Happy Thanksgiving whenever and however you all celebrate. Being veg, I Snarf down on the stuffing, potatoes, veggies,etc, and drool over the smell of the turkey. But I ate enough to feel like a little piglet anyway. Oh yeah!
And we can all give thanks for PM technology!

glad you liked the story

by jessie - 2012-11-23 12:11:48

it is always interesting to taste differentfood. i think i would feel disappointed if it wasnt our traditional n.a. meal. glad you enjoyed the history of canada's thanksgiving celebration and also great britain. it is a busy time of year preparing now for christmas day.blessings to you and tim and to all members of the p.m. site and their friends and family. jessie

Ian - further help w/ translations...

by donr - 2012-11-24 08:11:54

...You say that "Ian" is Scottish for "John."

Unfortunately, you have just run into another disconnect between speakers of our "Mother Tongue" & us poor, misdirected "Colonials."

Having lived among the denizens of England (as opposed to Scotland, Wales, etc.) I know just enough to get into trouble, but not enough to get/stay out of trouble.

Is that John as in a man's name ( We have two Dr's here in Atlanta who hale from north of Hadrian's Wall & answer to Ian) - but we also have rather large, bulky porcelein fixtures placed on the floor in small rooms that we call "John." While living in London, I recall faintly hearing you call the fixture on the floor the "Loo." I need to be sure that is not called "John " in Scotland.

Not wishing to commit a faux pas during my next audience w/ the Queen, please sort me out on this issue.

Respectfully submitted,

Don

Don .... we still remember your stay in the UK

by IAN MC - 2012-11-24 09:11:49

You've opened up a real can of worms now !

I am not Scottish but have visited Scotland on many occasions. Because I have a Scottish name I am treated with great respect there .... once a Scotsman even bought me a drink which is quite unusual.

But talking of ' respect" ; people are still talking about when you lived in England.. As you know John is a very common name here ( as is Ian ) and you must have met many Johns while you were here.

The reason people are still talking about you is because you persisted in attempting to defaecate on every one of those Johns. You didn't help Anglo-American relationships one bit. I realise now that it was a communication problem !

Next time I have a word with Her Majesty I will attempt to have you granted a Royal Pardon but I'm not too hopeful !

Cheers

Ian

Dear Don

by Tattoo Man - 2012-11-24 10:11:52

May I, on behalf of the 'Brit Pack' applaud the fact that you are one of the 7% of your nation in possession of a Passport.

It is also most commendable that you have taken the trouble, a while back ,to visit our Sceptred Isles. an experience that must have opened your eyes to the concept of Culture.

IAN MC,..himself a Man of Letters with, as he has indicated,..the 'ear' of Her Majesty,..has already been most helpful in your education 'a propos' the definition of the word 'John'.

Might I further add to your knowledge with an explanation of the term 'Loo'...you'll like this:

Try the Old French..'Lieux d'aissance'...this roughly translates as 'place of easement'. You might also take on the simpler French 'L'eau'..as in Water. I still have older French relatives who use the term 'Le Watter' to describe what, across The Pond is often known as 'The Bathroom'

This is where language goes a bit wonky..hold on (if you pardon the deliberate use of a risque 'bon mot' )

Toilet comes from the French 'Toilette', as in preparations for the day

Bathroom is a relatively new word to describe a room , that by definition contains ...a bath..you cannot 'Go to the Bathroom' if the room contains no bath.

Lavatory is the most accurate term to use as it is essentially Latin..'Lavare'-To Wash. A 'Lavatorium' was often a communal place for body functions before prurience was invented, and indeed , reinforced by Victorian England.

In British polite society 'lavatory' is the only word to use. Toilet, Bathroom, Loo are for the lowly born. Elsewhere in the World.. Dunny..Khazi..Bog..Lav and Pissoir .have been devised to entertain the people of Britain

I think that clears things up

Ever your servant

Tattoo Man

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