In 1789 our founding government believed the nation should have a day to commemorate and celebrate a holiday to give thanks for all the blessings shared in this newly rising democracy. President George Washington decreed the last Thursday of that November to be that day.

The Founding Fathers felt that the opportunities handed to them by fate, hard work, and the sacrifices of their fallen brothers to establish a democracy, a country free from tyranny, were enough to warrant such a display of gratitude.

This national day of thanksgiving would be celebrated intermittently until 1863, the year the Gettysburg Address was given, 75 years after that first proclamation, when President Abraham Lincoln declared the last Thursday in November be set aside from normal daily activity by all Americans, here and abroad, to give thanks for blessings such as bountiful harvests, the upholding of common laws and peace outside the field of military conflict. President Lincoln called upon fellow Americans to set aside this time for reflection and thanksgiving. Even during the Civil War, Lincoln and Congress felt it was important to make time for celebrating our nation’s blessings.

When the proclamation was issued, there was a return to yearly observations of a day of thanks on the last Thursday of November. However, in 1939, that last Thursday fell on Nov. 30. This was an important fact, as the United States struggled to claw its way out from under the weight of the Great Depression. As a boost to the economic struggle faced by so many at the time, President Franklin Roosevelt issued the yearly proclamation calling for the celebration of Thanksgiving, and asked for it to be held on the fourth Thursday, in order to provide an extra week of holiday preparation and stretch the financial potential for retailers and families alike.

With that proclamation, Congress passed a joint resolution in 1941 officially naming the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving and calling for patriotic Americans to observe that day in commemoration of all the blessings we have received and for which we should be grateful. Thanksgiving is truly a day for reflection, a day we are reminded of what is important to us as people and Missourians. We enjoy many freedoms as a result of the founding of this great land and the many who fought and died for those same freedoms.

I hope you have the opportunity to celebrate this traditional holiday with family and friends.

As always, please feel free to contact me or my staff with any questions or concerns at any time. We look forward to hearing your comments and suggestions and trying to answer any questions you may have. You can reach us by phone at (866) 277-0882 (toll-free) or (573) 751-2272, or by fax at (573) 526-7381.