Though the first Thanksgiving occurred in 1621, it didn’t become a national holiday until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War. In fact, there were two Thanksgivings that year. Abraham Lincoln declared a Thanksgiving to be held on Thursday, August 6, 1863 but this was strictly a holiday to be celebrated by the Union army following pivotal victories, specifically the major victory at Gettysburg. On October 3, Lincoln went on to declare the last Thursday in November as the official Thanksgiving Day for all Union states to celebrate.
Following the war, southern states also began taking part in Thanksgiving feasts. The nation, having been torn into two by conflict, now celebrated together as one.
It is jokingly said a fruitcake can last forever. However, there may be a hint of truth in that joke. The fruitcake below is the oldest on record. It was baked in a Michigan home for Thanksgiving in 1878, but the woman who baked it passed away just before the holiday. Her family didn’t have the heart to eat it. Instead, it was kept and passed down from generation to generation, becoming the pride of the family’s history. The last known owner of the fruitcake passed away at the age of 92 a few years ago, but since there are many young descendants, this fruitcake will remain in the family for many more years to come.
