On This Date - Isabel Jenkins

Thanksgiving. The word elicits fond memories in many - memories of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, feasts of turkey and mashed potatoes, the scent of pumpkin pie; but overall, time spent with family.

While typically associated with November, Thanksgiving was declared a national holiday by President Abraham Lincoln on October 3rd, 1863. On this date, our nation was in the midst of a civil war. Prompted by a series of editorials written by Sarah Josepha Hale (who, fun fact, also wrote Mary Had a Little Lamb), Lincoln proclaimed that the last Thursday in November was to be set aside as a day of "Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens." This statement has remained in practice ever since. Although some American families have since lost the original emphasis on thanks to our Father and to each other, Thanksgiving has had a great impact on our American culture and will be celebrated for the rest of our days.