Courtesy of the Forgotten English calendar, and W. & R. Chambers’ Book of Days, 1864…

The great social and religious festival of New England…is a legacy of the Puritans. They abolished Christmas as a relic of popery, and passed laws to punish its observance. But, wanting some day to replace it, the colonial assemblies…appointed every year some day toward the end of November as a day of solemn prayer and thanksgiving. The thanksgiving festival, though widely celebrated, is not so universally respected as formerly, as the influx of Roman Catholics and episcopalians has brought Christmas again into vogue…As a peculiar American festival it will, however, long be cherished by the descendants of the Puritans.

And so there you have it. Happy Thanksgiving all you puritans .