Happy Thanksgiving!
On the 26th of November, many families around the U.S will gather for a celebratory feast especially marked by Turkey and be granted a long weekend since the holiday always falls on the fourth Thursday in November.
Thanksgiving is generally not celebrated in Europe. The holiday blesses the harvest and the preceding year and is a relatively old cultural and religious tradition.
The celebration is very important to Americans and their families. Two Americans have agreed to share their feelings about Thanksgiving and why it is special for them with Stage-USA.
“I spend Thanksgiving with my family, on all sides...It's three different thanksgiving celebrations.1st cousins, 3rd cousins, step cousins… I'm only related to them through step-â€aunts getting remarried. But, regardless of how distant they are, it is always warm and intimate, filled with laughter, good (and abundant) food, bear hugs, and deep, grateful prayers. Also, my birthday is around the Thanksgiving holiday - sometimes even on Thanksgiving Day -†so I enjoy hearing my family wish me a happy birthday.”
- Austin P from Birmingham, Alabama
“For me Thanksgiving is a time meant to celebrate with my family. When I was a young girl my sister and I would wake up every Thanksgiving Day and watch the Macy's Day Parade. Some Thanksgivings my sister and I would spend the night with my grandmother and wake up in the morning to help her cook (while still watching the parade on TV). Every year, my grandmother will wake up around 6am to start cooking for the family. About noon my family will gather at my grandmother’s for our traditional Thanksgiving meal -†my favorite meal of the year. It is such a special time for me because it’s just a time to be thankful for my family and all the small things that I have in this life. The pilgrims came here with basically nothing so the huge meal they had was simply to celebrate what they had accomplished, even the simple things like learning to grow crops. They didn't have much but they had each other and what God provided for them”
-Brittney C. from Florence, Alabama
Usually, Americans like to share their traditions with visitors; so if you get invited to a Thanksgiving celebration with a local family, definitely don’t miss the opportunity! You will gain a true American cultural experience, which you can add to your travel book and memories and you will get to try all the delicious traditional dishes (pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie, turkey stuffing, salads, puddings, cornbread…)
For all those of you that are in the United States, we wish you wonderful Thanksgiving and a great long weekend!
-Rebecca Grove
