Thanksgiving and the Presidents

Our celebration of Thanksgiving owes more to our Presidents than it does to the Pilgrims.

By now we know that what the menu for the first Thanksgiving celebration in 1621 differs from what is found on most of our tables today.  The first Thanksgiving, celebrated among the Puritan Pilgrims and the Wampanoag tribe would’ve featured venison, shellfish, corn, and other roasted meats.  These would’ve been cooked using Native American spices and cooking methods.  The meal most likely did not have any desserts or other sweets as the Pilgrim’s exhausted their provisions over the previous winter.  Although, cranberries were probably present at both the first Thanksgiving and on our tables today.  The Pilgrims held a second Thanksgiving in 1623 after a long drought ended that threatened that year’s crops.  Days of fasting and thanksgiving became common features of many New England settlements.

The first national proclamation of a day of thanksgiving issued by the Federal Government came in 1789.  George Washington called the day to celebrate the end of the American Revolution and the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.  John Adams and James Madison also proclaimed days of thanksgiving during their administrations.  Thomas Jefferson, our third president, felt it was not appropriate to issue proclamations for days of Thanksgiving, because of the separation of church and state.  By 1817 New York became the first of several states to declare an annual day of Thanksgiving, celebrated on different days.  As with many of our holidays the celebrations began as regional or state affairs, only becoming nationally recognized later on.

In 1827 Sarah Joseph Hale, author of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” began a 36 year campaign

to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday, expanding the holiday from its traditional home in New England throughout the rest of the country.  During that time she sent dozens of letters to politicians, senators, representatives, leaders, and government officials urging them to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday.

Finally, at the height of the American Civil War, Abraham Lincoln scheduled Thanksgiving to be celebrated on the final Thursday of November.  In a speech written by Secretary of State William Seward, President Lincoln declared that the fourth Thursday in November would be an official U.S. holiday, Thanksgiving Day.  Lincoln also used this opportunity to thank God for recent Union victories in the American Civil War.  This marked the first time since 1815 that an American president had declared a day of thanksgiving.

Annually, Presidents issued Proclamations of Thanksgiving which made the last Thursday of November Thanksgiving Day.  This tradition held until 1939.  That year the last Thursday in November did not occur until the 30^th, leaving less than a month until Christmas.  Several retailers approached the President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and urged him to move Thanksgiving up by a week to allow for a longer shopping period.  It was hoped that consumers, who shopped after Thanksgiving, would buy more for the Christmas holiday.

This decision caused a great deal of confusion and anger.  FDR’s opponents questioned his disregard for tradition by moving Thanksgiving to another date.  The mayor of Atlantic City pejoratively called the new date “Franksgiving.”  Aside from irritating his opponents the effect of transferring Thanksgiving had a very real impact.

Schools that had vacations and tests set had to revise their schedules.  Then, as now, Thanksgiving was a big day for football games.  Many teams needed to examine and revise their schedules.  To make matters worse many of the country’s governors did not agree with Roosevelt’s decision to change the date of Thanksgiving.  Twenty-three state governors decided to follow Roosevelt’s lead and moved Thanksgiving to November 23.  Twenty-three other disagreed and chose to keep Thanksgiving Day on its traditional date of November 30.  The governors of Texas and Colorado decided to recognize both days as Thanksgiving Day.  These decisions by the state governors split families whose members lived in different states and could not get together to celebrate the holiday due to having different days off.

In 1940 FDR moved Thanksgiving Day again up by one week. Thirty-one states followed suit while 17 continued to follow the traditional date.  In 1941, many people anticipated the new date and celebrated Thanksgiving Day on November 20.  In October 1941, the House of Representatives passed a joint resolution making the last Thursday in November a legal, national holiday.  The Senate agreed, however they amended the resolution to make the fourth Thursday in November a legal holiday, which takes into account years where November has five Thursdays. President Roosevelt agreed and signed the resolution into law on December 26, 1941.  Since then Thanksgiving has always been observed on the fourth Thursday in November.

The library has many good cookbooks to help you find that perfect recipe to make your family meal extra special.

Martha's Classic Thanksgiving (DVD)
The Thanksgiving Table: Recipes and Ideas to Create your Own Holiday Tradition

Their are many great websites out there that feature traditional Thanksgiving recipes, or if you want to try something different, new twists on the originals or something new and exciting.  Check out these following websites:

Better Homes & Gardens Thanksgiving Dinner Menus
Thanksgiving Dinner Menu Ideas and Recipes
Thanksgiving Menus & Recipes from the Food Network 
Thanksgiving Menus for Beginners to Experts  from allrecipes.com or their other page for more Thanksgiving Recipes

Halloween and Its Origins

The roots of Halloween stretch back over the centuries.  Today we will examine the origins of the holiday and a few of its most cherished traditions.  Do you have any cherished Halloween traditions?  Share them in the comments section for others to read and enjoy.  Also, visit the library and see some of the Halloween books in our collection the librarians have set out.

Samhain

The ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced Sah-ween) fell around the time corresponding to November 1^st on our modern calendars.  This festival marked both the beginning of the Celtic New Year and the beginning of winter.  The Celts believed that during this festival, which lasted approximately three days, the line dividing the spirits of the dead from the living was thinner and more permeable.  At this time ghosts, fairies, and demons walked and mingled with humanity for a short period.

The Celts divided their year into two halves.  A light half (summer) when the earth produced fruits and vegetables and was green, and a dark half (winter), a time when the earth went dormant and lost its greenery.  As with other festivals, Samhain provided a time for feasting, dancing, and other merrymaking.  It was a way to enjoy the waning days of warmth and to prepare for the cold dark days that lay ahead.

As barbarian Europe converted to Christianity, pagan holidays were incorporated into the Christian liturgical calendars and given new Christian meanings.  In the Christian calendar, November 2^nd is All Souls’ Day, when the dead are traditionally prayed for.  November 1^st was All Saints’ Day or All Hallows Day.  This was the day of the year when all the Saints of the Church were remembered.  October 31^st became known as All Hallows Eve, or with the English propensity to shorten and contract everything: Halloween.

Jack O’ Lantern

The history of Jack O’ Lanterns originates with the story of Stingy Jack.  According to legend

Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him.  Jack, unwilling to pay for the drink, convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin to pay for the drink.  Instead of paying for the drink, Jack stuck the coin into his pocket next to a silver cross which prevented the Devil from regaining his original shape.  After forcing the Devil to agree not to harm him for a year or to take his soul after he died Jack left the devil go.

The next year Jack tricked the Devil into climbing the tree to pick a piece of fruit.  While the Devil was in the tree Jack carved a cross into the bark of the tree, preventing the Devil from climbing back down.  Once again Jack was able to extract a promise from the Devil.  This time the Devil agreed not to bother Jack for ten years.

Shortly after the second agreement with the Devil, Jack died.  Jack appeared at the Pearly Gates and God, wary of having such a duplicitous character in heaven, refused him admittance.   The Devil, still upset at being tricked so easily and yet true to his word, would not take Jack into hell. Instead, the Devil gave Jack a burning coal to help him find his way.  Jack put the coal into a carved turnip and has been roaming the earth since.

In Ireland and Scotland people made their own Jack O’ Lanterns by carving scary faces into potatoes and turnips and displaying them on their windowsills.  This was to frighten Stingy Jack and other malevolent spirits away.  In England, large beets were carved.  Immigrants from the British Isles brought these traditions to America, where it was soon discovered that pumpkins, a gourd native to North America, made the perfect Jack O’ Lantern.

Why do we go trick-or-treating and wear costumes?

As mentioned above the ancient Celtic peoples believed that during the festival of Samhain the line between the living and the dead was thinner.  The Celts would take precautions so as not to draw any unwanted attention from wandering ghosts and spirits.  Adults would dress themselves in costumes made of animal skins to frighten away spirits.  Others would fill tables full of goodies in order to satisfy wandering spirits and make them leave the local villagers alone.

By the year 1000 CE poorer members of the local community would visit the homes of the better off during this particular season.  In exchange for pastries, called soul cakes, they promised to pray for the souls of that family’s departed members.  This custom was known as souling, and was later taken up by children demanding food, treats, and ale.  This is reminiscent of the Christmas tradition of “wassailing” where the poor would converge upon the homes of their betters and demand food and drink – think “O give us some figgy pudding,” and “we won’t go until we get some.”

In Scotland and Ireland the young would visit other homes while dressed in different types of costumes.  In exchange for performing a little song or dance or reciting a poem or some other “trick” they would be given a “treat” of fruit, nuts, or some coins.

Irish and Scottish immigrants brought their traditions with them when they arrived in the United States.  This helped to cement the various celebrations associated with Halloween firmly in the states.  In the early 20^th century many American youth seemed to take the idea of a “trick” literally and began engaging in vandalism, assaults, and occasionally violence.  In an effort to curb more destructive behaviors, local authorities organized community trick-or-treat programs in the 1930s.  After a hiatus during World War II due to sugar rationing the traditions picked back up and now the newly emerging baby boomers gave a boost to this tradition.

Bobbing for Apples

Although associated with Halloween parties and fall festivals now this game was originally associated with finding love and divination.  Like some of our other Halloween traditions this one originated in the British Isles and made its way to the New World with Scottish and British immigrants.  There are several variations of this game with different rules and superstitions attached to the outcome of the game.

In the first version of the game apples are assigned the name of a potential mate.  Young ladies would then take turns bobbing for apples.  In this game the girl would try to bite the apple.  If it took only one turn to bite the apple they would marry.  A second attempt meant the man would court the girl, but the love would fail.  If it took three tries the relationship was doomed.  Another variation of the game consisted of a race and the first to bite an apple would be the first to marry.  Another related superstition held that if the girl placed the apple she bit under her pillow she would see her future mate in her dreams.

These games are pretty tame compared to another apple-themed game popular in the 1800s.  The game of Snap Apple consisted of an apple stuck to the end of a stick.  A lit candle was affixed to the other end.  The goal of this game was to take a bite of the apple while it was spun around and trying to avoid a face full of candle wax.  Definitely not the type of game one would consider playing at Halloween parties today.

The library has many books and CDs available to help you get into the Halloween spirit.  Here are a few examples of the items we offer:

"It Came From Ohio..." by James Renner
"Haunted Ohio" by Chris Woodyard, we also have volumes II, III, IV, and V
"Ghosthunting Ohio" by John B. Kachuba

 

"A Discovery of Witches" by Deborah Harkness
"Dark Witch" by Nora Roberts

 

"Hocus Pocus! Halloween Crafts for a Spooktacular Holiday"
"The Pumpkin Carving Book" by Deborah Schneebeli-Morrell 

We also have CDs full of spooky sounds and noises!

 

"Graveyard Terror"
"Halloween: Monster Mix" by Mannheim Steamroller
Martha Stewart Living "Spooky Scary Sounds for Halloween"

If you need help finding something you don't see here or need a spooky recommendation find one of our librarians and they will be glad to help you.

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

Why Do We Celebrate Labor Day?

For most of us, Labor Day signals the unofficial end of summer.  Vacations are finished, the kids are back in school and the cool autumn weather isn’t too far off.  Labor Day is sometimes one of the few remaining days left to fire up the grill and to enjoy one last summer cookout and picnic.  Have you ever wondered why we celebrate Labor Day and what its origins are?

The first Labor Day was celebrated in New York City in 1882.  Even with its relatively recent history there is some controversy over who first championed the idea of a labor holiday.  According to the Department of Labor’s website, Peter J. McGuire, general secretary for the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and later a founder of the American Federation of Labor, suggested a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."  Initially, this version of Labor Day’s history went unchallenged until the late 1960s, when a retired machinist claimed a deceased union brother of his, Matthew Maguire, originated the idea of a labor holiday.

Matthew Maguire, then serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union, proposed a

“workingman’s holiday” be celebrated.  The Central Labor Union was made up of members from many different unions as a way to increase their collective strength.  In May 1882 a “monster labor festival” was proposed for September.  Although the first Labor Day parade began haphazardly with a small number of participants, by the time the parade concluded at Wendel’s Elm Park, located at 92^nd Street and 9^th Avenue in New York City, nearly 10,000 workers had assembled.  The post-parade activities included a picnic, speeches by union officials, and "Lager beer kegs... mounted in every conceivable place."  The festivities of the first Labor Day carried on until 9:00 pm that evening.

Initially Labor Day celebrations were an entirely local affair.  During 1885 and 1886 various cities and municipalities passed ordinances recognizing the holiday. New York, New Jersey and Colorado were among the first states to legally establish the holiday. New York legislators first introduced a bill recognizing Labor Day.  However, Oregon holds the record as being the first state to pass a bill, February 21, 1887.  It wasn’t until 1894 that Senator James Henderson Kyle of South Dakota introduced a bill establishing the first Monday in September as Labor Day, making it a Federal holiday.  The bill was approved on June 28, 1894.

From its origins as a way to commemorate workers and their unions, Labor Day has become a civic holiday.  Besides featuring labor unions, Labor Day parades will also include various civic and fraternal groups, business members and elected officials.  This year, while having one last picnic take a little time to remember all of America’s workers-past and present, male and female who work hard to make this country what it is.

Check out these links from the Department of Labor for more information on Labor Day and its history.

The History of Labor Day 

Department of Labor's Historian on History of Labor Day 

Labor Daze-Pride, Chaos and Kegs on Labor's First 'Day' 

If you would like to learn more about Labor Day and the history of the modern labor movement the library has a wide selection of books.  Here are some of the available titles:

For children and young adults:

 Labor Day by Geoffrey Scott

Labor Day by Lynn Hamilton

Labor Day by Meredith Dash







General history on the labor movement in America:

"All Labor Has Dignity" by Martin Luther King Jr.

Sweat and Blood: A History of Labor Unions by Gina Skurzynski

Working Americans, 1880-2011 by Scott Derks

Good Girl Work: Factories, Sweatshops and How Women Changed Their Role in the American Workforce by Catherine Gourley

Reflecting on Presidents Day

Do you think about Presidents Day all that often? Or at all? To a lot of us, it basically means "Hey sweet, Abe and George got us a day off." I certainly was of that mind set. But how exactly did it come to this point?

Well, as it turns out when this holiday was created, it wasn't exactly ordained as Presidents day. Dating back as far as 1800's, the holiday was unofficially recognized as a day of observance for President George Washington. This was typically observed on his birthday of February 22, (although in actuality his birthday falls on February 11 of the old Julian calendar). Since Washington was considered to be the most important figure in American history, it became a federally recognized holiday in 1885, thus making it a day where business wasn't conducted.

In 1971, Congress decided create 3 day weekends, and an act known as the "Uniform Monday Holiday Act" was passed. Thish caused a shift of the official day of observance to make Washington's birthday to fall on the 3rd Monday in February. This ends up making the day fall between the 15th and 22nd, and thus never falling on Washington's actual birthday.

So how did it become President's day? Well despite up to 22 states recognizing Lincoln's birthday as a paid state holiday, it was never officially recognized as a federal holiday. There was a fear that it would be much too confusing to have so many holidays all fall within the same few days in the same month, as Lincoln's birthday fell on February 12th.

To address this, an early draft of the Monday Holiday Act contained a revision that would merge the two Presidents birthdays to one singular holiday, giving it the more unofficial title of "Presidents Day". While this is how many people refer to it, on a federally recognized scale it is still referred to as Washington's birthday. Although on a state level, some places recognize all 3 dates individual holidays (albeit not all paid holidays).

The marketing push for "President's Day Sales" didn't really start to kick up until as recently as the 1980's with more and more businesses starting to remain at normal hours to capitalize on the holiday. And outside of major federal services such as the US postal service, things like public transit now also maintain regular hours during this holiday.

So if you have the day off for the holiday, and want to learn more  about the folks who gave it to you, we've got a couple of suggestions that you may want to look into. For more about our founding father and some of his work you can always try:

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His Excellency: George Washington by Joseph Ellis

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.Writings: By Washington, George

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Or if you are more of fan of ol' honest Abe, we have a number of available items on him as well. Be sure to check them out as well as the many other selections you can find in the CLEVNET catalog.

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A. Lincoln by Ronald C. White, Jr.

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Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith*

(*May or may not be historically accurate)

From your friends at Kirtland Public Library: Have a great Presidents Day everyone!

Books Into Movies: Holiday 2013 Edition

'Tis the season for holiday films. . .based on books

The Invisible Woman tells the story of the 13-year affair between Charles Dickens and Nelly Ternan, an actress 27 years younger than him. Ralph Fiennes directs and stars in the film, based on the biography The Invisible Woman: The Story of Nelly Ternan and Charles Dickens by Claire Tomalin.

Homefront, based on the novel by Chuck Logan, stars Jason Statham as Phil Broker, a recently widowed, former DEA agent who moves to a small town with his young daughter, hoping for a quiet life. However, the town they choose is run by a violent drug dealer, played by James Franco, and it’s up to Broker to save them all.

Labor Day stars Kate Winslet as Adele, a reclusive single mother who is coerced into taking an escaped convict, Frank, into her home. Although Adele and her son are at first frightened of Frank, he quickly becomes part of the family over the long Labor Day weekend. Will the police catch up to him, or will they all live happily ever after? Based on the novel by Joyce Maynard.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is the second part of a 3-part adaptation of JRR Tolkien’s classic fantasy novel. Set in Middle-Earth, 60 years before The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, this film continues the adventure of Bilbo Baggins (The Hobbit) on his quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain and the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Cate Blanchett, and Orlando Bloom.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is based on the short story of the same name by James Thurber. The film, directed by and starring Ben Stiller, depicts the rich fantasy life of the of the otherwise quiet, mild-mannered magazine editor, Walter. But when his job is threatened, he goes on a real-life adventure that surpasses anything in his imagination.

Remember, it's always better to read the book before you see the movie, so come in and check one out!

Staff Picks...Christmas Books!

                    

I started collecting Christmas books when I was in high school.  I have a pretty good sized collection which includes about seven editions of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, and at least 20 versions of Clement C. Moore’s Night Before Christmas.    I won’t bore you with a list of all the books in my collection but I will share some of my favorites.

A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote and illustrated by Beth Peck.  “It’s fruitcake time,” says Miss Sook.  She and Buddy gather nuts, count their pennies to purchase dried fruit and spices and plan who will receive one of the 30 fruitcakes they lovingly bake.  President Roosevelt will, the driver of the 6 o’clook bus from Mobile will, and so will HaHa Jones, the man who sells them the whisky to soak the cakes!  Buddy and Miss Sook also decorate their house and make presents for the rest of the family and dream about a wonderful Christmas.  Capote is such a wonderful writer and the watercolor illustrations in this edition are just beautiful.

Christmas on Jane Street by Billy Romp.  This is the true story of the Romp family.   They are Christmas tree farmers in Vermont and spend the month before Christmas living in a small trailer in on the corner of Jane Street and 8^th Avenue in New York City while they sell their trees.  They arrive in New York on the day after Thanksgiving and get home just in time for Christmas morning.   I love the descriptions of New York City at Christmas and the changing relationship between the father and his daughter. This one is warm and fuzzy and brings back memories of ice skating at Rockefeller Center and the omnipresent aroma of roasting chestnuts.

The Story of Holly and Ivy by Rumer Godden and Illustrated by Barbara Cooney.  Ivy, Holly, and Mr. and Mrs. Jones all have one Christmas wish. Ivy, an orphan, wishes for a real home and sets out in search of the grandmother she's sure she can find. Holly, a doll, wishes for a child to bring her to life. And the Joneses wish more than anything for a son or daughter to share their holiday. Can all three wishes come true?  A sympathetic boy and a mischievous toy owl make this a terrific story.  The illustrations are lovely.

The Cajun Night Before Christmas by “Trosclair” and illustrated by James Rice.  Santa comes down the bayou on a pirogue pulled by eight tiny ‘gators!  Let the good times roll!

Wombat Divine by Mem Fox and illustrated by Kerry Argent.  Wombat loves everything about Christmas especially the Nativity Play.  He’s finally old enough for a part, but which part will be just right?

Here are some other Christmas books to try.

For children and their grown ups:

A Pint of Judgment Elizabeth Morrow

Father Christmas by Raymond Briggs

The Bird’s Christmas Carol by Kate Douglas Wiggins

Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto

Christmas in the Barn by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Barbara Cooney

The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree by Gloria Huston

Christmas in the Trenches by John McCutcheon

A Child’s Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas

For grown ups:

Skipping Christmas by John Grisham

A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg

The Christmas Tree by Julie Salamon

Christmas at Eagle Pond by Donald Hall

These are just some of my favorites – what are some of yours?  You can get all these books and many, many more at the Kirtland Public Library…Check it out!