Giving Thanks by Mail

History of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving ceremonies have been celebrated throughout the earliest history of civilization. Many of these had a basis in religion, giving thanks to their god for a bountiful harvest. The holiday as we now know it in the United States is an extension of the first American Thanksgiving celebrated in 1621 to give thanks for the harvest reaped in the Plymouth Colony after a very harsh winter.  History tells us that this occurred sometime between September 21 and November 11 and lasted for three days.  The Pilgrims were joined by approximately 90 local Wampanoag, including Chief Massasoit. We believe that this first feast included fowl, deer, fish, clams, berries and boiled pumpkin.

Thanksgiving observations in the United States continued to be conducted with an “unofficial” status through the mid-19th century. With the lobbying efforts of Sarah Josepha Buell Hale, writer, influential editor and most well known as the author of “Mary Had a Little Lamb”; the holiday was eventually given an official status with President Abraham Lincoln’s  “Thanksgiving Proclamation” in 1863. The country was embroiled in a civil war and this was seen as a way to unite the nation. Lincoln declared the last Thursday in November as a national day of Thanksgiving.

The Thanksgiving we all know now as the unofficial beginning of the Christmas season was quite intentional. In 1939, 1940, and 1941 President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared that Thanksgiving would be celebrated on the third Thursday in November. This was a challenging time for our country still feeling the effects of the “Great Depression” and now facing a second world war that had just erupted in Europe. The economy was faltering and at the bequest of influential retailers Roosevelt made this move to lengthen the Christmas shopping season. This continued as a point of great controversy until 1941, when congress passed a joint resolution decreeing that the holiday would fall on the fourth Thursday in November, where is has remained ever since.

Postcards and stamps

In the early 1900’s the country became obsessed with picture postcards commemorating Thanksgiving. These holiday postcards were indeed the precursor of today’s greeting cards that we send on holidays, for birthdays and other significant dates. The United States Postal Service has issued several stamps commemorating the Pilgrims establishing the first American colonies, the turkey and most recently a true Thanksgiving stamp. You can see many examples on my Pinterest board.

Happy Thanksgiving!