Thanksgiving Day Traditions: Family, Food and Football

Thanksgiving in the United States traces its origin to 1621 when the Pilgrims at Plymouth celebrated a successful fall harvest. For more than 200 years the colonies and states held days of thanks on irregular dates. Congress and George Washington tried to establish November 26 as a national Thanksgiving Day in 1789 but it was not until 1863 that President Lincoln officially proclaimed the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day in the U.S.

Then in 1939, a year that had five Thursdays in the month of November, President Roosevelt moved the holiday up in the month in an effort to lengthen the Christmas shopping period and boost the economy. Some states, including North Carolina, ignored this and continued to hold it on the last Thursday of the month.  In 1941 Congress resolved the issue and declared the fourth Thursday of November as the official and legal Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S.

Accounts of the first Thanksgiving say that the three day celebration included recreational activities. Today, football has become part of the Thanksgiving tradition for many. From flag football with family and friends to watching a televised game even those who aren’t fans often get a serving of football on Thanksgiving Day.

The first Thanksgiving Day football game was held in 1876 between Yale and Princeton, with the Yale Bulldogs taking the win by a score of 2-0. 

Beginning in 1935 Brevard College played Mars Hill on Thanksgiving Day.  The two teams met on Thanksgiving Day at least nine times until Brevard College dropped football from its athletics department in 1950.  Brevard won four of those nine games and two ended in a 0-0 tie.

In 1943 and 1944 Brevard College played Brevard High School on Thanksgiving Day. Brevard College won both of those games.  An informal survey of old Transylvania Times revealed that Brevard High often held a game on Thanksgiving Day evening.

Midget and Mite football teams also got in on the Thanksgiving Day tradition for a time.  The Brevard Mites played the Hendersonville Mighty Mites in the Fourth Annual Apple Bowl in Hendersonville in 1962. 

Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library.  Visit the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about our history and see additional photographs.  For more information, comments or suggestions contact Marcy at marcy.thompson@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-1820.