Nostalgia for the beloved show “Little House on the Prairie” is at an all-time high as fans remember the sweet moments of Halloween and Christmas episodes. However, one holiday notably absent from the Ingalls family’s celebrations was Thanksgiving. Melissa Gilbert, star of the series, shed light on this omission in her book “My Prairie Cookbook: Memories and Frontier Food From My House to Yours,” explaining that Thanksgiving had only recently been declared a national holiday at the time of the show’s setting in the 1870s.
Although the show never delved into a Thanksgiving episode during its original run, there were a few nods to the holiday. In one Season 3 episode titled “Journey in the Spring,” young Carrie Ingalls befriends a turkey that the family plans to eat for dinner, adding a touch of Thanksgiving spirit to the storyline. Additionally, a one-off TV movie in 1979 called “The Little House Years” featured the Ingalls family reflecting on their journeys and struggles during a family gathering for Thanksgiving.
While Melissa Gilbert’s character on “Little House on the Prairie” may not have dined on a Thanksgiving feast on screen, she did star in a Butterball turkey commercial in the early 1970s. In the commercial, Gilbert and a young actor playing her brother humorously discuss holiday traditions, including the inevitable presence of Aunt Martha’s “yucky yellow salad” and Aunt Ruth’s tears, but always featuring a Butterball turkey at dinner.
The absence of a Thanksgiving episode on “Little House on the Prairie” may seem like a missed opportunity for fans of the show, but the heartfelt moments shared by the Ingalls family in other episodes continue to be cherished by viewers. The legacy of the show lives on through its enduring themes of family, love, and resilience, making it a timeless classic for audiences of all ages.
Peace Nero is a writer and blogger who loves to explore different topics of self-development. She shares her personal experiences in order to help people discover their true purpose in life.