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| "Freedom from Want" by Norman Rockwell Image credit here |
Take Thanksgiving, for instance - a very topical example. It's a national holiday that celebrates a uniquely American episode of world history. What claim do the rest of us honestly have to commemorate that? But you know what? You will. Through a gut-busting menu, an opportunity to stop and reflect on the people and things that make your life wonderful, and two days off work, somehow you make peace with it.
This year will be my 7th Thanksgiving celebration in the United States and I absolutely love it - in fact, I've loved every single one of them. In 2011, I actually catalogued all my Thanksgiving adventures and it's great to relive those. There are a couple of gaps in the timeline though. I was in London in 2012 so I missed it that year, and in 2013 I was in East Hampton and probably too hungover to write about it so the less we say about that, the better.
With my appetite, you'd expect that food ranks the highest on my list of reasons for loving Thanksgiving, but it's not really true. I adore the smells most of all. At this time of year, stores and kitchens across the US are full of delicious, seasonal aromas - cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. All of this fragrance spills over into the food (and into my mulled wine) and I'm a very happy girl. But looking back over all my adopted Thanksgivings, I know I definitely loved the occasions, but I just can't wrap my arms around everything.
For one thing, I have reservations about the turkey. I know, it's "Turkey Day" but the centerpiece of the entire table isn't my thing at all. Sidebar though, I do maintain a soft spot for the Butterball Hotline, thanks to "The West Wing" (and you must watch the clip here). Turkey is everywhere here in the US - but especially so at Thanksgiving. I don't remember growing up with turkey meat in Australian supermarkets or deli counters - it certainly wasn't on our dinner table at home. It might be an acquired taste, but it doesn't really taste all that different to chicken. But then again, everything seems to taste like chicken, doesn't it? But have you seen the size of Thanksgiving turkeys?! Some are big enough to feed 20 people. They take 3 days to defrost, and almost a whole day to cook. Could you imagine encountering a turkey that big in nature? Surely you'd just lay down, play dead, and hope it went away.
While I'm complaining, I'm also not on board with pumpkin pie. I can stomach pumpkin muffins, or even pumpkin cake, but a pie crust filled with cold, spiced pumpkin - most often from a can, of all places - just isn't palatable in my book. It can't be a texture thing either, because I love cheesecake and banana cream pie and other things that I imagine have similar mouth feel. Maybe it's because I grew up only eating hot pumpkin - roasted or mashed or in soup. Perhaps this is one of those culinary hurdles I will never clear.
But trust me, the savoury side dishes are all mine. Pass me the green bean casserole (fried onions from the can are essential). I'll take heaping mounds of sweet potato casserole with the toasted marshmallows on top. And I will fight you for the corn pudding and turkey gravy too. I can usually take or leave the stuffing (which is often cooked separate to the bird), but if it's made from corn bread and cranberries, gimme!
Food is just part of the Thanksgiving tradition though. And although I'm not a touchy-feely person at the best of times, I'm quite partial to the tradition of going around the Thanksgiving table and taking it in turns to declare the one thing for which you are most grateful. Does anyone ever stop at one thing? I think that's a really important part of the Thanksgiving pageantry - and it's a custom that anyone, from anywhere, can adopt.
Oh and once the meal is over, and your stretchy pants are at capacity, there is nothing more wonderful than lounging in front of the annual Thanksgiving football games. Even after all this time in the US, football is another tradition that I'm still appropriating, but I'll get there eventually. I have also adopted my friend Jeff's tradition of watching "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" on Thanksgiving afternoon. It never gets old. What a way to give thanks for all the blessings in life!
Given the blogging hiatus of the past two years, I'll definitely be writing about my 2014 Thanksgiving. As a heads up, it will not feature turkey or pumpkin pie, but there will still be plenty of food, gratitude, stretchy pants, and food coma hallucinations to be had. And for that, and for so much more, God Bless America!
