LAC Group uses cookies to improve functionality and performance of this site. More information can be found in our Privacy policy. By continuing to browse this site, you consent to the use of cookies.
In honor of celebrating Thanksgiving this week in the United States, we dedicate this issue to gratitude.
The history of Thanksgiving
American Thanksgiving is a tradition dating back to 1621, the year after 102 passengers on a ship called the Mayflower left Plymouth, England. Only half survived that first year until November 1621, when Governor William Bradford organized a feast in honor of a successful corn harvest. Included were the Native American allies who showed the colonists how to cultivate corn and other important survival teachings.
It wasn’t until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that Thanksgiving was designated an official holiday by President Abraham Lincoln to honor the widows, orphans and others who suffered because of the Civil War and to “heal the wounds” of the nation. Initially assigned to the last Thursday of November, it was moved up a week in 1939 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to spur retail sales during the Great Depression. Shopping the day after Thanksgiving has become as traditional as eating turkey and pumpkin pie.
There was a time when some families called a library home. This is the story of one person who grew up in a branch of the New York Public Library system, where his father was a custodian.
John Kralik was an attorney who had hit a personal and professional rock-bottom when he decided to undertake a project of gratitude–writing a thank you note every day for one year. The following two articles convey his story, and the NPR profile includes his ten tips for writing thank you notes.
All of us at LAC Group are grateful for over 30 years of the support of our clients. We appreciate your support and wish you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Are you interested in contributing to The Curator? If you have a library / information services blog, represent a relevant website, or would like to be a guest contributor to our blog, contact us with details. Thank you!
