"The tradition of Thanksgiving as a time to focus on God and His blessings dates back almost four centuries in America. While such celebrations occurred at Cape Henry, Virginia as early as 1607, it is from the Pilgrims that we derive the current tradition of Thanksgiving. "Following their first winter in America, the Pilgrims reaped a bountiful harvest the next summer. As one of them wrote, "God be praised, we had a good increase of corn"; "by the goodness of God, we are far from want." Consequently, they declared a three-day feast in December 1621 to thank God -- America's first Thanksgiving Festival. This began an annual tradition in the New England Colonies that slowly spread into other Colonies . . .
"The first national Thanksgiving occurred under President George Washington (below you can see a scan of his 1789 proclamation) . . ."
By the President of the United States of America.
A Proclamation.
Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."
Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted; for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.
And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations, and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally, to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.
Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine..G. Washington
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Thanks to WallBuilders.com who provided the above information in an email I received today. I added emphasis to President Washington's Thanksgiving and Prayer Proclamation above.
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It sure seems to me that our first President clearly understood the purpose and necessity of annually commenorating a day set aside for true thanksgiving and prayer to the One, eternal God. May we too ask Him to pardon, to forgive our national and individual transgressions, sins, including abortion, blasphemy and rejection of God, immorality, pornography, homosexuality, promiscuity among countless other wrongs . . .
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Let us resolve today to humble ourselves, to pray, to seek the God of our Fathers and to repent and to turn from our wicked ways and to return to the historic true Christian faith of our Fathers.
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