Fraternity-Testvériség, 1966 (44. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1966-11-01 / 11. szám

FRATERNITY

OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE HUNGARIAN REFORMED FEDERATION OF AMERICA Edited by the Officers of the Federation

Published monthly, with the exception of the summer months, when the June-July and August-September issues are combined

Subscription for non-members in U. S. A. & Canada $2, elsewhere $3 a year

Office of Publication: Expert Printing, 4627 Irvine St., Pittsburgh, Pa. 15207 Editorial Office: 3216 New' Mexico Avenue, N. W., Washington, D. C. 20016

Volume XLIV NOVEMBER 1966 Number 11

THANKSGIVING DAY

"November 24th this year is Thanksgiving Day, one of America's great national holidays. It had its origin in the harvest festival of the

Pilgrims at Plymouth in 1621. The first Presidential Proclamation of the holiday was issued by President Washington in 1793. However, for

decades it remained chiefly a New England festival. Then, in 1846, 120 years ago, Mrs. Sarah Josepha Hale, author of the nursery rhyme

"Mary Had a Little Lamb" and editor of the nationally read magazine,

GODEY'S LADIES' BOOK, began her one-woman campaign to make the observance annual and national. She wrote editorials in her magazine and thousands of letters to successive Presidents, Congressmen and State Governors. As a resuit of her efforts, by 1858 ail but six states celebrated Thanksgiving Day on the last Thursday of November. The holiday became nationally established through President Abraham Lincoln's Thanksgiving Day Proclamation of 1863. All subsequent Presidents have followed Lincoln's example in proclaiming this important holiday and it

is now fixed by law." (ACNS.)

Having reached the month of November again through the grace of God, we are called upon to celebrate another national Thanksgiving Day, and offer thanks to Almighty God for His bounteous blessings which He so graciously bestowed upon us as individuals, as a people and as

a nation. A spirit of gratitude should animate every soul to give expression once again not only in words, but in some substantial way for God's goodness to all of us.

If we take an account of our blessings, we can readily see that we owe Him thanks for . . . our life; our precarious yet wonderful

world; the age in which we live; the increased yearning for freedom and for free civil institution; a broader and deeper reverence for

law, both moral and civil; a deeper spirit of faith, hope, love and sympathy; for the willingness to help our fellowmen, both at home