Thanksgiving didn’t exactly begin the way they taught us in school …
By Joselin Ramos
It’s finally begun, the festive season. Also the season we use as an excuse to break our diets but that’s a secret. Thanksgiving is seen today as a large family dinner and I think we all remember when we used to go around in class to announce the things we were thankful for in elementary school. Well, we know from historians that most traditions are created by people to to express collective ideas and habits, which is why traditions change over time just like folk tales or popular myths do. Thanksgiving hasn’t always been celebrated in the same way, even though we’ve all been taught the popular myth of how the Pilgrims originated Thanksgiving. Well, back in the late 1890’s through about the 1940’s there was an activity called “Thanksgiving Masking” which was a somewhat delayed Halloween mixed into Thanksgiving.
People of all ages would dress up to go out with masks, costumes, confetti, horns etc, to roam the streets of their cities on this day until it eventually became a tradition. The most popular costumes tended to be animals, and colorful bird heads were really popular for this. Additionally, many people would also mimic leading politicians and dress in remembrance of many past eras. This event would make it into local newspapers! It was even reported to be the busiest time of the year back in 1897 (Los Angeles Times Nov 21). People masquerading would flood the streets with informal parades and spread amusement all around the country. New York was actually one of the biggest hot spots for Thanksgiving masking! California and Chicago were also big locations for this tradition but it was gradually celebrated from coast to coast.
Actually, “Thanksgiving masking” wasn’t the only way it was known. Eventually it was referred to as “Ragamuffin Day,” when so-called ragamuffins would go around asking neighbors “Anything for Thanksgiving?” and usually get back pennies, an apple, or candy. Apparently by the 1930’s some people were having a change of heart and finding it unfitting to dress up to beg adults for gifts on Thanksgiving. Thus the tradition slowly died out by the 1950’s and a new, more formal annual street event took its place. Many of us know it today as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade !