Over the river and through the woods,

To grandmother’s house we go.

The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh

Through white and drifted snow.

The way I celebrated Thanksgiving changed a lot over the years. For example, as a teenage boy we lived in Harrisburg, which meant getting up early on Thanksgiving morning and heading for Canton to hunt rabbits. We would stop at the Canton Diner for breakfast and then head out to hunt rabbits. Early afternoon we started out for home, where my mother would have a feast waiting for us. We always had a house full of aunts, uncles and cousins.

When I met Mary Alice we were in high school, and we attended our John Harris vs. William Penn football game at Hershey on Thanksgiving Day. When we married, our first Thanksgiving was celebrated with another couple at a cabin in Davisville, Rhode Island. We had a turkey made in the smallest oven I had ever seen. I was stationed at the Sea Bee base in Rhode Island.

After our sons were born, we celebrated at both of our parents’ homes (one for lunch and one for supper). As the boys became older, Mary Alice began making Thanksgiving dinner. Thanksgiving Day has changed again as we now travel to the homes of Mark and Amy and Holly and Dan. I’m just assuming that someday this will change again and God willing we will be going to the home of one of our grandchildren to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Over the river and through the woods,

Oh, how the wind does blow!

It stings the toes-and bites the nose

As over the ground we go.

The idea of giving thanks has also continually changed and goes back to ancient times. Long before the birth of Jesus Christ, the Hebrews celebrated the feast of Thanksgiving when God told Moses to celebrate and give thanks. “The Festival of Shelters,” must be observed for seven days at the end of the harvest season, after the grain is threshed and the grapes have been pressed. This will be a happy time of rejoicing together with your family and servants. And don’t forget the Levites, foreigners, orphans and widows of your town.”

The Romans had a harvest festival called “Cerelia” honoring the Goddess Ceres, who was the Roman Goddess of Agriculture, which was held in early October by the Romans. The festival began with a fast, followed by sacrificing a pig and some of the first harvest cuttings; worship; sporting events; with music and fun. The festival ended with a feast.

In early England, these festivals became “Harvest Home Rituals” and usually turned into rowdy festivals.

The Puritans had been at odds with the Church of England. They felt the church had too many days of thanksgiving, which were called “church days.” On a church day, no one was allowed to work. The Puritans were very frugal people, who believed in hard work, and these church days interfered with their normal working days. So, the Puritans packed up and left for Holland, where they stayed for about ten years. During this ten-year period, the Puritans accepted some of the festive and holy days celebrated by the Dutch.

Finally, 101 Puritans left Holland and set sail for the new world, landing at Plymouth Rock in 1620. Our history books tell us about that first winter, which was very hard, with starvation and diseases causing many deaths.

During the following spring, Squanto and other friendly Native Americans taught the Pilgrims about planting and harvesting local crops.In the fall of 1621, the men had gathered crops from 20 acres of corn, six acres of barley and peas, and a lot of wildlife had been killed and stored away for the coming winter. Governor Bradford, who did not want a repeat of the first winter, was so pleased with the harvest that he suggested a day of feasting.

Over the river and through the woods.

Trot fast, my dapple gray

Spring over the ground-like a hunting hound.

For this is Thanksgiving Day.

Squanto was told to go and ask Massasoit to join in the feast. Massasoit accepted the invitation and arrived with 90 braves, which was almost twice the number of the remaining 55 Pilgrims. A three-day feast took place, dining on sea bass, cod, ducks, geese and the five deer brought by the Natives. Turkey was not on the menu. Five surviving women, with the help of a few young girls, made a feast that lasted three days for 145 people.

Thanksgiving was made a national holiday by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who set Thanksgiving as a national holiday. Whether you choose to celebrate Thanksgiving by going to a football game or traveling to your grandparents for a many course dinner, with all the relatives, I hope you have a nice Thanksgiving Day.

Over the river and through the woods

Now Grandmother’s cap I spy.

Hurrah for the fun. Is the pudding done?

Hurrah for the pumpkin pie.

Lydia Maria Child wrote this as a Thanksgiving song. At least, I always assumed this was a Thanksgiving song, but when researching the words to the song I came across a Christmas version. Then I checked John Bartlett’s familiar quotations, where I found it listed as a Thanksgiving song with the sleigh going to grandfather’s house instead of grandmother’s house.

Bill Bower is a retired Pennsylvania Game Commission Wildlife Officer. Read his blog and listen to his podcasts on the outdoors at www.onemaningreen.com.