the phrase "thanksgiving" initially comes from the bible. the pilgrims of plymouth, however, were mainly puritans and strict calvinist protestants. they only observed three religious holidays from the new testament: sunday sabbath, days of fasting and humiliation and thanksgiving. thanksgiving marked favourable ("mercies") in community life.
     the first thanksgiving festival was indeed a time of happiness, fellowship and rejoicing for the pilgrims. they arranged a friendly treaty with the native american indians, built houses in the wilderness, and raised sufficient crops to feed themselves for the upcoming long winter. the pilgrims had become the first generation of settlers in this new land holding so much promise.
     from then on, thanksgiving became a holiday for celebrating the harvest in the new world, dates varied from october to november each year over the next 150 years.
     thanksgiving, the national holiday
     the first national thanksgiving was declared by the continental congress in 1777. on october 3, 1789, president george washington declared that the people of the united states should observe "a day of public thanksgiving and prayer" on thursday, 26 november.
     many say the credit for the establishment of an annual thanksgiving holiday should be given to sarah josepha hale. being the editor of ladies magazine and godey`s lady`s book, she lobbied to the governors, senators, and presidents for a national holiday and published stories and recipes for that day in her magazine. after 36 years of crusading, she won her battle. in 1863, buoyed by the union victory at gettysbur