When our country was young, we had a far different perspective on the end of November.
I don’t know about you, but for the past couple of weeks, my inbox has been flooded with various appeals to take advantage of “Black Friday Deals.”
Wasn’t too long ago that “black Friday” referred to the day after Thanksgiving—the “official start of the Christmas shopping” frenzy. Stores opened at midnight and throngs of shoppers stampeded inside to grab the deals.
Then, Friday leaked into late afternoon Thursday, Thanksgiving day.
Then, still earlier, “get Black Friday deals NOW!” encouraged us to shop even earlier.
And now? Well, every day after Halloween is Black Friday somewhere!
So, in our day, the end of November—well, even all of November—has become all about enticing us to buy stuff.
“Thanksgiving” has been relegated to a few hours on the last Thursday of the month, and even that has become more about turkey and football than recounting all the reasons we have to be thankful, and then offering that gratitude to the God who has graciously given.
But in our nation’s infancy, the emphasis was far different.
In 1789, our first president, George Washington, issued the following proclamation:
Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor—and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States to observe a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.
Now therefore do I recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be—That we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks—for His kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation—for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of His Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war—for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed—for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for that our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted—for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which He hath been pleased to confer upon us.
And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions—to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually—to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed—to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord—to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us—and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.
Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty-nine.
— George Washington
I couldn’t tell you whether or not it was on George Washington’s mind, but his decree as recommended by Congress complies with the exhortation of the psalmist’s “Psalm of Thanksgiving”:
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into His presence with singing!Know that the Lord, He is God!
It is He who made us, and we are His;
we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
and His courts with praise!
Give thanks to Him; bless His name!For the Lord is good;
His steadfast love endures forever,
and His faithfulness to all generations.— Psalm 100
I seriously doubt we’ll see a proclamation anything like Washington’s coming out of Washington this year. But we would be far better served to pay attention to that decree and the Psalmist’s call than to be seduced by the siren calls of Black Friday deals!
Come, ye thankful people, come—
Raise the song of harvest-home.
All is safely gathered in,
Ere the winter storms begin.God our Maker, doth provide
For our [needs] to be supplied:
Come to God’s own temple, come—
Raise the song of harvest-home.
– Henry Alford, ”Come, Ye Thankful People, Come”
