Did you know?...The Story of Thanksgiving....

Thanksgiving as we know it know is a holiday that started out much different than we think, and indeed, there has even been much controversy surrounding it!

Historians say that the explorer Juan Ponce de Leon celebrated a day of thanks on the coast of Florida after successfully crossing the Atlantic Ocean in 1513. Other Thanksgiving celebrations took place throughout the 1500 and 1600's, by the mid-1600's, harvest festivals were being celebrated by the New England colonists.

In 1789, President George Washington proclaimed that the last Thursday in November would be a "Day of Thanksgiving and Prayer." However, as the years passed, the celebration of the day fell out of favor and less and less people celebrated it.

Writer Sarah Hale lobbied strongly for the revitalization of the holiday by composing and sending letters to the Presidents in office, as well as writing editorials and articles for various magazines. Finally, President Lincoln, and every President after, declared the fourth Tuesday of November to be Thanksgiving.

However, in 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt tried to change the day from the fourth Thursday of the month to the third, with the thought to lengthen the holiday shopping season to jump start the economy, which was mired in the Great Depression.

There was much outrage and disagreement, and in 1941, Roosevelt said that the attempt had not increased sales. Congress passed a resolution declaring the holiday to be celebrated the fourth Thursday in November, and the bill was passed into a law, finally protecting Thanksgiving and making it "official."

Information for this article came from "Thank you, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving," a book in the library's collection. Please stop by the library to browse this book any many others celebrating the traditions of Thanksgiving!