Thanksgiving in the Woods

"Daddy puts me on his shoulders,
and we walk with Mama and Grandma
along a candlelit path through the woods.

"I pull Brownie close to keep
him warm, happy that he he came along
for Thanksgiving in the Woods.

Back at the bonfire
I can hear a banjo and someone singing:
'Tis the gift to be simple,
'tis the gift to be free,
'Tis the gift to come
down where we out to be.'

"Now that's a perfect ending,"
Grandma says as we walk
in the dusk, "a perfect ending to
Thanksgiving in the Woods.""

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Phyllis Alsdurf

Alsdurf grew up on a Minnesota dairy farm with six brothers and sisters. Her first picture book, It's Milking Time, depicts the special relationship between a child farmer and her animals.

Jenny Lovlie

Lovlie grew up in Norway spending time outdoors in the land of the midnight sun. She studied Illustration & Animation at Kingston University in London. Lovlie's style incorporates bold colors, shapes and interesting textures with a Scandinavian, Nordic folklore flare.

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Relevance

This story is based on Alsdurf's brother's family in upstate New York who has hosted an outdoor Thanksgiving feast in the woods on their farm for more than twenty years. With almost 200 friends, family and newcomers gathered, the celebration includes music, bonfires and lots of food. The original impetus for a Thanksgiving celebration in the woods, open to anyone who wanted to attend, was to create a simple, inclusive and welcoming opportunity to share a meal and nature with others.

It's difficult to find information on the 2020 celebration, but I suspect this family will modify their annual Thanksgiving in the Woods or start a new tradition.

Learning Connections

It has been quite difficult to locate relevant learning connections for developing new Thanksgiving traditions -- the Money Crashers' article is excellent and has some good links for crafts, volunteering, etc. You might also consider adding indigenous recipes to your dinner menu or supporting a military family for the holiday.

• 13 New Thanksgiving Family Traditions to Start This Year – Unique Ideas, Money Crashers
  
• Recipes, First Nations Institute
• Sean Sherman’s 10 Essential Native American Recipes, New York Times
  
• Holiday Meals for Military, Operation Homefront

Picture book, 40 pages. Every Thanksgiving for more than twenty years, a family in upstate New York has hosted an outdoor Thanksgiving feast in the woods on their farm.