 |
| A traditional turkey dinner. internet image |
This year's Thanksgiving post is a compilation of thoughts, memories, and observations.
Hosting family and friends for dinner is a traditional way to celebrate the holiday. Some families go out of their way to invite friends and neighbors who might not have another invitation.
Americans in general seem to be in touch with gratitude these days, or at least use thankfulness as a way to frame life's twists and turns. It's appropriate to do that today. Nearly everyone can agree there is much for which we can give thanks.
Pass the mashed potatoes, please? When it comes to the secondary players on the holiday table, I rank mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, scalloped corn, and cinnamon dinner rolls as Thanksgiving all-stars.
Pilgrims and the First Nations people who befriended them make the Thanksgiving origin story for most of us. In hindsight, had the future been known to those Native (Pre-) Americans, they may have treated their guests differently. It is understandable why many Native Americans do not celebrate today.
You may have a side dish you look forward to at the holidays. Maybe it's cranberries with the can-imprinted lines on it. We have a tradition known as Mossner Salad, which is fruit salad with marshmallows and food-coloring that fits the season. Do you like stuffing or are you OK with it if it doesn't have sage? I'm going to let the green bean salad pass but for many, it's not a family dinner without it. Whatever your favorite, I hope you get seconds.
Thanks can be a throw away word, said as a transaction and acknowledged quickly. There are different levels of thank yous - when someone holds the door for you is one, a neighbor going out of their way to drive you to the Emergency Room is another - recognize the difference.
Ham plays second fiddle at most Thanksgiving dinners. It might be the second entree, but in my limited experience, it is usually featured at Easter.
A big tradition on Thanksgiving is the New York City parade shown on multiple TV networks. I enjoy the balloons flying over the parade route. The segments where some star from Broadway or the silver screen sings doesn't say 'parade' for me, I'll take a high school marching band any day.
Next to the parade is football. There's a game in Detroit and a game in Dallas as per custom. A third game, in the evening, came along in 2006, this year it's in Titletown where the Pack hosts Miami, If that's not enough, you can usually find a college game.
Knives carving turkeys are a big part of the holiday in some families and on most TV or film renderings of Thanksgiving. There is Dad standing with a knife and sharpener at the head of the table ready to make the first slice. I don't recall that scene playing out at home, the bird was usually cut in the kitchen and brought out ready to eat.
Sandwiches are the unsung heroes of Thanksgiving. Whether it's turkey or ham, what's left of the main course and the sides make the next meal (and maybe two after that) an informal, more fun version of the big feast.
Gathering family around the table is the heart of the holiday's tradition; I remember holiday dinners at Grandpa and Grandma's where I'd sit with cousins at the kids' table. I didn't mind, especially when Grandma made cinnamon dinner rolls.
It's easy to lose sight of what Thanksgiving means when there are parades and football games to watch and Black Friday madness is less than 24 hours away. Pausing for a minute to give thanks and acknowledge the gifts around us is a good way to get centered and recognize the source of everything.
Vino or wine is part of the table's landscape in many homes. I grew up with sparkling cider which I still prefer. A crisp sparkling apple cider is refreshing.
If you make thanking central to your celebration, it won't matter what you eat. Your attitude and disposition bring more than any meal.
Navigating the holiday and this blog to the penultimate letter, you may know intuitively a few common sense rules for today - avoid talking politics or religion unless your family is uncommonly mature and able to have civil conversations.
Good-byes are important at family holidays. There may not be a clock timing your get-together, but leaving early is better than leaving late. As they say in show business, 'leave 'em wanting more,' and that applies to pie and family.
I hope your Thanksgiving goes great, have a good time with good people.
Thanks for reading - here are links to earlier Thanksgiving blogs:
Comments
Post a Comment