As part of the Concord Museum’s 2021 Holiday House Tour, the Emerson barn was decorated to reflect a nineteenth century holiday dining space.

On this Father’s Day, a look back at the father figures in Ralph Waldo Emerson’s life and his own role as a devoted father to the four children he shared with Lidian: Waldo, Ellen, Edith, and Edward.

Reflecting on the Emersons’ December gift-giving traditions and the unexpected gift that a 15-year-old Ellen Emerson received from Louisa May Alcott on this day in 1854. The Emersons and Alcotts were neighbors at various times and the families were close.

After she married and moved away, the Emersons’ younger daughter, Edith Emerson Forbes, was missed at home and the family looked forward to her visits. Born in late November, Edith’s birthday wishes included invitations to return to Concord for Thanksgiving, bringing her own growing family. The Emersons celebrated the holiday over two days and often hosted dozens of relatives for the occasion, preparing for weeks in advance.