[Healeys] An American Day

[Rick Swain]

How about this for a bit of knowledge to share. The first Thanksgiving
celebration by Europeans in North America was actually in Newfoundland. The
English explorer Martin Frobisher held a feast to give thanks for successfully
arriving in North America in 1578. His attempt at founding a colony failed but
there was a thanksgiving celebration in North America 43 years before the
arrival of the Pilgrims. French colonists at Port Royal in Nova Scotia held
feasts of thanksgiving beginning in the winter of 1604-05, to which they
invited the local native people - the Mi'kmaq. This was also before the
Pilgrims. In 1879, 13 years after Confederation, Canada's Parliament declared
Thanksgiving a national holiday.
So while Americans celebrate Thanksgiving, they weren't the first, and they
are not the only country in North America to have the celebration.
Off my soapbox.
Rick '59 BN4 (and proudly Canadian)


> I know this is an international list and I know Thanksgiving is truly an
> American day, but I wanted to take a little time and say this list is one of
> those things I'm really thankful for.