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.

Last week’s article was about how Thanksgiving began and how it has changed through the years. I venture to say that this change has happened to most of us. Thanksgiving Day has certainly changed for us.

While growing up in Harrisburg, my dad, uncle, brothers and I were early risers on Thanksgiving Day so we could head up to Canton for our annual rabbit hunt. Our first stop was at the Canton Diner for breakfast and then on to our rabbit hunt until about 1 p.m.

We headed for home, knowing my mom would have a feast waiting for us. There would always be many relatives waiting for us to get home so all could eat. Later, when I met Mary Alice, we would go to our high school’s John Harris vs. William Penn rivalry football game, which was always held at Hershey.

After we were married, Thanksgiving Day changed again, we ate two dinners — one at each of our parents. When we moved to Troy, the Pennsylvania Game Commission said I couldn’t leave my district, so Mary Alice began making the big meal.

As the children grew up, married and left home, Thanksgiving Day changed again, and now we often travel to our children’s homes.

I’m just assuming God willing that the next big change will be celebrating Thanksgiving at our grandchildren’s homes.

“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 goes back to ancient times. Long before the birth of 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 by the Romans in early October. The festival began with a fast, then the sacrifice of a pig and some of the first harvest cuttings, worship, sporting events, with music and fun also part of the festival, and 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 known as 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 10-year period, the puritans accepted some of the Dutch festive and holy days.

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 Native Americans, 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 Native Americans, however 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 grandmother’s and grandfather’s home for a dinner of many courses with all the relatives, I hope you will 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.”

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.