Long before Europeans settled in North America, western Europeans observed Harvest Home festivals to celebrate the successful completed of gathering-in the season's crops.
   The cornucopia (a horn-shaped basket overflowing with fruits and vegetables) is a typical emblem of Thanksgiving abundance that dates to ancient harvest festivals.
   One custom among English Puritans was to designate special days of thanksgiving to express gratitude for God's blessings. These observances were not held regularly; they usually took place only in times of crisis or immediately after a period of misfortune had passed. Puritan thanksgiving ceremonies were serious religious occasions and bore only a passing resemblance to modern Thanksgiving celebrations.
   Thanksgiving was first celebrated by Pilgrims and Nation Americans in colonial New England in the early 17th century. Its actual origin, however, probably traces to harvest festivals that have been traditional in many parts of the world since ancient times.
   Colonial governments and, later, state governments took up the Puritan custom of designating thanksgiving days to commemorate various public events. Gradually the tradition of holding annual thanksgiving holidays spread though out New England and into other states. During the American Revolution (1775-1783), the Continental Congress proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving following the American victory at the Battle of Saratoga in 1777. U. S. President, George Washington, proclaimed another day of thanksgiving in 1789 in honor of the ratification of the Constitution of the United States. In 1817, New York adopted Thanksgiving Day as an annual custom; many other states soon did the same. Most of the state celebrations were held in November, but not always on the same day.
   In the mid-19th century Sarah Josepha Hale, editor of Godey's Ladies Book, led a movement to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday. In 1863, during the American Civil War (1861-1865), president Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November Thanksgiving Day in order to bolster the Union's morale. After the war, Congress established Thanksgiving as a national holiday, but widespread national observance caught on only gradually. In the late 19th century Thanksgiving's emphasis on home and family appealed to many people throughout the United States. As a distinctly American holiday, Thanksgiving was also considered an introduction to American values for the millions of immigrants then entering the country.
   New Thanksgiving traditions emerged that catered to city dwellers. The day after Thanksgiving gradually became known as the first day of the Christmas shopping season. To attract customers, large retailers such as Macy's in New York City and Gimbel's in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, began to sponsor lavish parades. In 1934, the Macy's parade started, featuring richly decorated floats and gigantic balloons.

   The Lamar Wal-Mart Store announced its 2001 Teacher of the Year on September 24, 2001.
   Sue Day was selected as the outstanding local teacher by customers of the Wal-Mart store at Lamar.
   Sue is an elementary teacher at the Granada School in Granada, CO. She will receive a certificate of recognition, a vest and a $500 grant designated for a special project at the school.
   Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. began recognizing outstanding teachers at the local level in 1995. Last year, Wal-Mart and Sam's Clubs associates raised and donated $8.8 million to education through the Teacher of the Year program, scholarships, and local giving through stores and clubs. In total, the company contributed nearly $27 million last year in support of education.