Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Thanksgiving

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1 comment:

Amanda Waldo said...

When people think of the yummy turkey and simmering pumpkin pie which symbolizes Thanksgiving for most of us, few people realize that we have a woman to thank for it all. Editor and poet Sarah Hale was in fact largely instrumental in founding the beloved holiday. Seeing it as a desperate bid for unity amongst the Union and Confederacy during the Civil War, Hale kept recommending the recognition of Thanksgiving as a national holiday to President Lincoln until he agreed and created a proclamation proclaiming it as such. Evidently Hale believed that Thanksgiving could serve as a holiday for unity as well as a therapeutic and relaxing day for family and friends. Obviously many individuals not suited for slaving over hot stoves and ovens for hours and hours on end would have a bone to pick with Hale if she were alive today! :)

--Rachel Robles