LEARNING ABOUT THANKSGIVING

LEARNING ABOUT THANKSGIVING :
Tableaux and textbooks

The Victorians were very fond of "home entertainments" when children (and often adults, as well!) would celebrate holidays by constructing stage settings, improvising costumes, and acting out historical events or scenes from stories. The Landing of the Pilgrims was suggested for a Thanksgiving celebration :

"Landing of the Pilgrims. Tableau 1. - The good ship Mayflower has just touched Plymouth Rock. Pilgrim Father stands upon the rock, and reaches down to help Pilgrim Mother to land.
The ship is a large wash-tub, which is placed in the center of the stage; its sail is a towel, fastened with pins to a stick, the stick being tied to a broom, as shown in illustration. It is held aloft by one of the children in the tub.
Plymouth Rock is a table, occupying a position near the tub."

From : The American Girls Handy Book, by Lina & Adelia B. Beard. New York : Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1887.

The home tableaux with
a "washtub Mayflower" THXMayflTub.JPG (43715 bytes)

By the end of the 19th century, home tableaux were evolving into school plays as teachers were provided with set pieces - recitations, essays, short dramas - designed to integrate American holidays into the school curriculum.

"Miss May, in a pretty black lace dress, stood up and read the names of the pupils as they were to recite. First six little girls sang a song, Miss Davis playing the music for them, and then four boys had a recitation. Sunny Boy wished he had been one of the four; it wasn’t half so hard to stand up there with three other boys and talk about Thanksgiving, as it was to have to face a roomful of people all by oneself.
His turn came after the four boys had finished. He heard his name called and walked into the room and up on the platform and made a little bow. Then he looked at the audience.
Now Sunny Boy had, in company with the other children, practiced reciting his piece on that very platform. But he had never looked into so many faces, and for the moment he forgot what he was to do. Then his mother’s face seemed to stand out from the others, and she was smiling at him just as she smiled at home while listening to his recitation.
Sunny Boy took a deep breath."

The school play

From :
Sunny Boy In School and Out,
by Ramy Allison White.
New York : Grosset & Dunlap, 1921.

As the 20th century progressed, teaching about holidays - including Thanksgiving - became integrated into school textbooks.

KidJack&Jane.jpg (50728 bytes)

Thanksgiving time
(Happy times with Jack & Jane)
by Esther Schenk.
Chicago : Lyons & Carnahan, 1932-1937.

Thanksgiving time (Happy times with Jack & Jane), a primary school reader of 1932, uses simple words and repetitive phrasing to tell of a family celebration of Thanksgiving, complete with the story of the Pilgrims and the First Thanksgiving.
Sample dialogue :
"We had a fine Thanksgiving," said Father.
Jack said,"We had a good time. I like Thanksgiving." "I like Thanksgiving, too,"
said Jane. "Bow wow," said Terry. "Meow, meow," said Kitty.