We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga

New fact I learned this week! The Cherokee culture celebrates their new year in the fall. We are so accustomed to celebrating New Year’s on January 1st (in traditional American culture) that I have never really delved into learning more about when other cultures greet the new year.

This tradition falls so perfectly in with the concept of Thanksgiving. We celebrate this holiday to give thanks for what we have, and traditionally, to give thanks for the harvest that the Earth has provided us.

Phenology-wise, we are definitely noticing the changing of the seasons here in southern Wisconsin. First real snowfall this week, first time to put on snowpants, first tiny snowman in the yard. I’m grateful for the changing seasons that help mark our time around the sun. I’m grateful that these predictable patterns help guide our lives throughout the year, allowing us to develop our own family traditions in celebration of each one.

I highly encourage you to check out the read aloud of “We Are Grateful” by Traci Sorrel, and if you want to learn more, her interview with KidLit TV is fantastic as well.