A.O.W. #12
Week of 11/27/2017
Time Machine (1899): When Thanksgiving was weird
Editor's Note: We generally think of Thanksgiving and Halloween as very different holidays, but a century ago Thanksgiving Day featured mischief, masks and trick-or-treating. The Los Angeles Times of Nov. 21, 1897, said Thanksgiving was "the busiest time of the year for the manufacturers of and dealers in masks and false faces. The fantastical costume parades and the old custom of making and dressing up for amusement on Thanksgiving Day keep up from year to year in many parts of the country, so that the quantity of false faces sold at this season is enormous."The strange practice of "Thanksgiving masking" was actually an ancient tradition called mumming, where men in costumes floated from door to door, asking for food and money, sometimes in exchange for playing music. The annual Philadelphia Mummers Parade traces back to this tradition, which some believe began in the 17th century, combining European and African heritages.Thanksgiving was also a time for acts of charity, and, of course, food. The following New York Times article, published on December 1, 1899, explains the traditions of the time in New York City.
Thanksgiving Happiness Reigned Everywhere
Thanksgiving was celebrated yesterday in this city in a happy, orderly and comfortable fashion. The weather was delightfully fine for this season of the year. There was abundant evidenceof good fortune and good times. Happiness appeared to reign everywhere. There was much to be thankful for this year. None need have gone hungry.
The chief feature of the day was the street noise, not only of the girls and boys, but of young men and women. Thanksgiving dressing up and parading around was everywhere. Fantastically dressed youngsters and their elders were on every corner of the city. The maskers and mummers wore disguises of a well-known character or myth. There were Fausts, Mephistos, Boers, Uncle Sams, John Bulls, Harlequins, bandits, sailors and soldiers in khaki suits.The mummery, as a rule, was limited to boys in women’s skirts or in masks. Some of those dressed up were on bicycles, others on horseback, a few in vehicles. All had a great time. The good humored-crowd was generous with pennies and nickels. And, the candy stores were very profitable that day.
Many Of The Fortunate Helped The Unfortunate
It is not possible to accurately estimate the Thanksgiving cheer dispensed privately by the fortunate to the unfortunate. Many families in New York informed themselves early in the week of the needs of persons with whom they were acquainted. These families saw to it that those in need did not go hungry.
The Thanksgiving Day supply ordered to the Tombs Prison was large. Warden Hagan ordered 550 pounds of chicken, 250 pounds of turkey, 200 pounds of roast pork, 150 mince pies and two barrels of apples. At the other district jails in the city, the officials provided a bountiful dinner for the prisoners.
The same occurred in the different institutions of the Manhattan State Hospital for the Insane. About 6,780 pounds of turkey and accompaniments were distributed among the patients. In the female department, there was a concert in the afternoon. In the male department at night, there was a live show.More than six tons of turkey and chicken and 150 barrels of apples, figs, nuts and other fruits and vegetables were used for the Thanksgiving dinners in the various branches of the Charities Department on the islands in the East River and in the city. There were fifteen tons of food in all.
At the Catholic children's shelter, 2,900 boys and girls sat down to a turkey dinner at noon. They attended mass at 6 o’clock, and after that had been allowed to remain all morning in the big playgrounds. In the evening the boys presented a slideshow of pictures taken by them.The residents of the asylum of the Hebrew Sheltering Guardian Society ate 1,000 pounds of turkey for their Thanksgiving dinner. There was music by the asylum storyteller. The Trustees of the asylum, headed by President Levy of the board, were present to see that the children got all the pleasure out of the day that was possible. In the morning, the children were told what Thanksgiving was. In the afternoon, each child received a costume and was sent out into the playground to do as he or she pleased.
Immigrants Were Included In The Celebration
On Ellis Island, Emile Schwab supplied the immigrants’ dinner yesterday. It was served on the station boat Narragansett, which is at the pier at Ellis Island. The 600 delighted immigrants devoured the turkey and ate the celery thanks to the donor of the feast. After the dinner, a half dozen musicians sent over by Mr. Schwab furnished music for dancing.At all of the 1-cent coffee stands of the St. Andrew’s Society of Manhattan and Brooklyn, a large dinner of turkey, roast beef, vegetables, celery, coffee, pumpkin and mince pie and fruit was provided for all comers.