The celebration of Thanksgiving Day has quite a past when you consider the political aspect.
Prior to becoming a national holiday, New England colonists considered Thanksgiving to be a religious holiday with days of prayer thanking God for blessings. In 1798, the new U.S. Continental Congress announced a national Thanksgiving observance celebrating the signing of the Constitution but, after that, the new U.S. Congress decided to leave the celebration of Thanksgiving up to the individual states because some protested objectifying a religious holiday.
Southerners disliked the North’s use of the holiday for holding parades and political speeches. During the Civil War in an effort to unite the states, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of Thanksgiving as the last Thursday of November. In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt received complaints from businesses, stating the holiday falls too close to Dec. 1, leaving too few shopping days before Christmas. It was then that Roosevelt changed the date to the second-to-last Thursday of the month. That was not without controversy as some states had already set their school and vacation schedules.
Political opponents disagreed with the changing of tradition and accused Roosevelt of caving under the pressure of retailers. Twenty-three states observed FDR’s change but 23 others continued with the traditional date. Two states honored both dates. The country was once again split over the proclaimed holiday.
In 1940, after finding that changing the Thanksgiving date did not increase spending for Christmas, Roosevelt decided to stick with his second-to-last Thursday decision and more states followed that proclamation. By Dec. 26, 1941, seeking to stop the confusion and divisiveness over the observance date, Congress passed a law declaring Thanksgiving would be observed on the fourth Thursday of November.
1947 – 71 YEARS AGO
DeGregorio’s Auto and Home Supplies Store on North Main Street in Pittston advertised an electric train with track and transformer for $22.95. A patron could purchase the train for $2.30 down and $1.25 per week. A child’s bicycle could be purchased for $39.95, $4 down and$1.75 per week.
An advertisement for the Stanley Grico Café on Wyoming Avenue in Exeter stated, “For what are we thankful? For Liberty, for friends and for work to be done and the strength to do it, for the beauty of nature, for peace within our shores.”
The 27th annual Thanksgiving Game pitted Pittston High School against St. John’s High School in the Turkey Day Classic. In the preceding 26 games, each school emerged victorious 11 times and the other four games ended in a tie score. It was the first time in six years the game was played in Pittston City and not in the West Pittston stadium. Pittston’s team was coached by Cyril Gallagher and his assistant Charles Zambetti. St. John’s team was coached by Ray Garlinski and assistant Carl Petrozello.
1948 – 70 YEARS AGO
The Sunday Dispatch decided to make the annual Thanksgiving game day more exciting by offering a Turkey Day Grid Contest to win a prize for guessing the final scores of the local games. Readers could send in entries listing the scores from the Pittston/St. John’s, West Pittston/Forty Fort, Duryea/Avoca, Wyoming/West Wyoming and the Dupont-Moosic games. First prize was $10, second $5, and third $2.50. According to the US Inflation Calculator, those prizes would equate to $104.75, $52.37 and $26.19 today, revealing a rate of inflation of over 900%.
1960 – 58 YEARS AGO
The Sunday Dispatch Inquiring Photographer asked, “Does Thanksgiving hold any particular memories for you?” Joseph Lombardo, of Lombardo’s Men’s Shop in Pittston, answered, “My favorite memory was the Pittston/St. John football game in 1955 when I, as a senior, played with Pittston High and we beat St. John’s, 28-14. What I think was one of the best Thanksgiving games on record.” Guy Pisano, of Pittston Township, stated, “I went to Pittston Twp. High and played football; our season was completed before Thanksgiving. I always regretted that fact.” Scott Ellis, of West Pittston, added, “I think people celebrate Thanksgiving in the wrong manner. They should to go church, give thanks for all the blessings they have.”
1972 – 46 YEARS AGO
The Treadway Inn was the site of the annual Thanksgiving dance sponsored by the West Pittston Junior Women’s Club. The dance provided a major means to raise fund for the West Pittston Library. The club, for more than 30 years, was one of the biggest contributors to the library. The success of the event was especially important as the library lost many of its books in the flood waters of Hurricane Agnes. Those who planned the dance were Mrs. Joseph Chesna, Mrs. Mikita, Mrs. Charles Cino, Mrs. Samuel Chairge, Mrs. Thomas Scholato, Mrs. Casimer Azaravich, Mrs. Michael Milkanin, Mrs. Harry Alexanderian and Mrs. Michael Minnichello.
1979 – 39 YEARS AGO
It wasn’t played on Thanksgiving Day, but every one of the 7,000 fans who attended the Pittston Area/Wyoming Area rivalry game in 1979 claimed it as the “best one ever.” It was the first time in three years the Patriots came out on top, 20-15. Pittston hit the scoreboard first with a touchdown by quarterback Tony Burns with Robert Bianco kicking the extra point. With Wyoming Area taking the lead twice in the game, Pittston Area fought back in the final quarter with Tom Nowakowski pushing across the goal line from two yards out. Mike Sobeski, PA tailback, took the Carmello Falcone Trophy for MVP by rushing 106 yards and scoring on a 48-yard run.
1980 – 38 YEARS AGO
The cafeteria at Wyoming Area School District served over 2,400 turkey dinners, over 300 pounds of bread stuffing and 150 pumpkin pies at its annual Thanksgiving dinner in 1980. Harry Giacometti, balancing his duties as cafeteria manager, Spanish teacher and business manager for the school district, planned the meal with school nutritionist Winnie Tarrantino. Homemade candy consisting of chocolate, peanut butter and corn flakes was offered after the meal.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
1847 — In New York, the Astor Place Opera House, the city’s first operatic theater, is opened.
1919 — A Labor conference committee in the United States urges an eight-hour workday and a 48-hour week.
1935 — Pan Am inaugurates the first transpacific airmail service from San Francisco to Manila.
1936 — 1,200 soldiers are killed in a battle between the Japanese and the Mongolians in China.
1943 — President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Chinese Premier Chiang Kai-shek meet in Cairo, Egypt, to discuss ways to defeat Japan. Soviet leader Joseph Stalin does not attend the Cairo Conference (code-named Sextant) out of concern that his meeting with Chiang will cause friction between the Soviet Union and Japan. (From MHQ — the Quarterly Journal of Military History)
1963 — Lee Harvey Oswald assassinates President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas. Lyndon B. Johnson becomes president.
1964 — Almost 40,000 people pay tribute to John F. Kennedy at Arlington Cemetery on the first anniversary of his death.
1995 — “Toy Story,” the first feature-length film created entirely with computer generated imagery premiers.
2005 — Angela Merkel becomes the first woman ever to be Chancellor of Germany; the former research scientist had previously been the first secretary-general of the Christian Democratic Union.
BORN ON THIS DAY
1890 — Charles de Gaulle, French general in exile during World War II and president of France from 1958-1969
1899 — Hoagy Carmichael, American composer, pianist and singer
1924 — Geraldine Page, actress well known for roles in Tennessee Williams’ plays
1943 — Billie Jean King, U.S. tennis player and women’s rights pioneer
1950 — Steven Van Zandt, singer, songwriter, musician, producer (E Street Band, Steel Mill, Southside Johnny & The Ashbury Jukes) and actor (“The Sopranos”)
1958 — Jamie Lee Curtis, actress (“Halloween,” “Trading Places,” “A Fish Called Wanda”), author (“Today I Feel Silly” and “Other Moods That Make My Day”)
1961 — Mariel Hemingway, actress (“Lipstick,” “Manhattan”)
1984 — Scarlett Johansson, actress, model (“North,” “Lost in Translation”)
