Is Thanksgiving as ghastly as it is reported?

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Roger Hicks

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When I lived in the United States my wife's parents celebrated Thanksgiving in a fairly low-key manner, and I don't recall any problems (apart from eating turkey). How do RFF members in the United States actually find they enjoy (or don't enjoy) the festival?

I ask because on American sites I seem to see more and more letters to agony aunts and on food pages whining about Thanksgiving problems, be they unpleasant relatives, awful 'traditional' food (does anyone actually like intensively farmed turkey?), and Heaven knows what else, including lots of insubstantial "How to Deal with Thanksgiving" pieces by columnists who can usually write something better: "The Lazy Woman's Guide to Thanksgiving", for example. Surely Thanksgiving can't be as awful as it is painted in these pieces?

Cheers,

R.
 
Until this morning, as a citizen of the UK, I (genuinely) had no idea what "Thanksgiving" is all about. Sure, I'd heard of it but hadn't been sufficiently interested in finding out what was or why it was celebrated.

Wikipedia (taken with a huge pinch of salt) seems to suggest two hypotheses. One - it was brought about by the Pilgrim Fathers sitting down and eating with Americans. The second was that it evolved from a speech by Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War.

I wasn't aware it was meant to be awful, though I doubt Turkeys enjoy it much. That said, there was some reference to Turkeys being "pardoned"....! Very odd.
 
It has in fact moved about a bit. It was traditionally the last Thursday in November (1789-1863), normally renewed annually by presidential decree as far as I can see; then the fourth Thursday in November (1863-1939); then the third Thursday in November (1939-41) in order to give more shopping days before Christmas; than back to the fourth Thursday again (1941-present). In practical terms it marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season: the day after Thanksgiving, 'Black Thursday', is so named because that's when shops hope to go 'into the black' (i.e. black ink in the accounts book instead of red).

Dunno if it's supposed to be awful or not, but there seems to be a remarkable emphasis on the down-side in many of the things I've read.

Cheers,

R.
 
In Sweden, Christmas occupies the same space as Thanksgiving in the USA - it's the big family holiday, the food is rigidly traditional, people travel a long way to get to uncomfortable places to sleep etc... there's a a lot of whining here too, about how to deal with relatives, the crass commercialism, the stodgy food.

I guess we should be "thankful" our problems aren't worse!
 
Thanksgiving is only "awful" from the perspective of the usual entertainments one finds with gatherings of family and friends. Such things are always an adventure.*

Other than that, it's a nice day to stand back from the usual curfuffle and meditate on the good things that have gone on over the course of the past year. And try not to overeat.

G


* Adventure - A miserable time you survive and tell entertaining stories about.
 
It's slightly confusing when others celebrate things like Birthdays, Christmas, Thanksgiving etc and then complain about it.

If it's that bad, don't do it ! It's not a legal requirement !😀
 
Godfrey said:
Thanksgiving is only "awful" from the perspective of the usual entertainments one finds with gatherings of family and friends. Such things are always an adventure.
Click to expand...

^^^This.

These pieces are just examples of very bored, uninspired writers. 🙂
 
Bored, uninspired editors?

Believe me, the real Thanksgiving is many people's favorite holiday. Despite the family adventures that Godfrey cites. 🙂
 
Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday.
Here in Canada we get in early! October. Family, friends whatever partake in eating the sleeping drug, Turkey. If cooked by one like Milady, it's delicious, soft and not dry. Being all together, is really nice. Still causes a good sleep.
The States Thanksgiving version is similar. It is way more intense. It has both a kind of religious feel and historical meanings. The Founding Fathers, Plymouth Rock.The remembering of those not with us, the sacrifices to create and maintain, the getting together of far flung family is simply awesome! It is the busiest air traffic time! i was very moved by the experience.
Don't beleive the media. A good time is had by all.
One of many things and moments that i miss of the USA.
Happy Thanksgiving to all my Family and Friends in the USA from Newport Beach/LA/Orange County/Agoura Hills/Florida to NYC and everywhere else.
Milady and I shared the last of Pumpkin Pie!
 
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Refreshed after a postprandial nap. Thanksgiving can be wonderful or ghastly.

Once many years ago, when I was in college, my then girlfriend got us an invite to the home of some cousins she barely knew. It started off well but rapidly descended in intense bickering when the children of our hosts couldn't correctly name all the characters in the mythic story of the first Thanksgiving.

This year brought both our kids home. Just four us. A deep-fried bird. My wife bought a pecan pie baked by the daughter of a colleague -- a girl who is allegedly attending culinary school. The budding young chef would appear to need some additional schooling as the pie could as easily have been poured onto our plates as anything other manner of serving. A nice holiday and much to be thankful for this year.
 
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