Couch 233: Nothing’s Ghana Stop Us Now

I turned on my space heater to drown out the voices. I don't think it's working.

With my family, there's really not much else to it, no gifts or anything. It's really the one time of year they'll say grace before dinner (not religious). Just something like, "I hope that we'll all be together to celebrate next year. Amen" or something to that effect.

Some families, I think the cooking together is part of the tradition. Or just using classic family recipes.

And the traditional green bean casserole (there are fancier versions) is basically:
Canned cream of mushroom soup
Milk
Canned green beans
Crispy fried onions (this brand you buy in a can)

Throw together in casserole dish, heat in the oven, then throw some more of the fried onions on top to crisp up in the end.

You can of course make a nicer version where you make a roux, cream sauce, fry up some mushrooms, use fresh green beans, and fry up your own onions. But the other is more traditional.

So it sounds like Thanksgiving doesn't have the same consumerist/materialist focus as Christmas, as far as gifts and spending at least. Is it relatively low key compared to Christmas? For example, do you have decorations and a countdown to Thanksgiving in the same way as there is a countdown to Christmas? I have never really understood Thanksgiving. Is it maybe closer to Easter than Christmas in terms of level of celebrating?

Nope, no gifts, no cards, nothing like that. I'm sure some people decorate but it's not expected. It's really just a big meal with family and/or friends, kind of a harvest festival tradition.

Much more low key than Christmas. I don't know about Easter because for my non-religious family Easter was never a big deal, but obviously for Christians it's different.

If I had to compare it to anything I guess it would be Seder.

It’s really interesting to me, Thanksgiving and all of the other holidays really. At their core, they’re all about tradition. Some of those traditions are widely spread throughout society, like the turkey at Thanksgiving and the Lakers playing on Christmas at the Staples center. Yet on the other hand some traditions are more regionally or family specific. Like when I was a kid, we’d normally go to a Chinese buffet on Thanksgiving, or we traveled on the actual holiday to get better ticket prices. My MIL makes a mean coconut cake at the holidays. So holidays are what you make them

I feel like an anthropologist is examining me, a member of a strange, primitive culture.

We haven't even told moo about pardoning the turkeys yet!

Comrade, definitely not a consumer focused holiday, except for the turkey part. There's no countdown to Thanksgiving. It's just an excuse to get together with family, eat a lot, watch football, and wait for it to be Friday to go Christmas Shopping. And I guess you know, be thankful for what you have.

Although Thanksgiving isn't a big deal in my family. I don't get together with my sister's family on Thanksgiving but a lot of people do travel "home" for Thanksgiving to be with family. We do that at Christmas in our family but Thanksgiving will be as always just me, Mom, and Dad, and the pets. And it's nice getting the day of of work. I get Thursday/Friday/Saturday/Sunday off of work and I took Monday off as a personal day.

Ah, ok, so the meal is the heart of the matter. It might be close to Harvest Festival in the UK Harvest Festival (United Kingdom) - Wikipedia Although Harvest Festival is not widely known or celebrated so that seems like a key difference. I remember Harvest Festival being celebrated when I was at school, but that was 35 years ago and also before the wheel had been invented so the world was a different place back then. Get off my lawn, etc.

The story makes me weepy, and has haunted me ever since I read it years ago.

Pardoning the turkey? Is this some vulgar euphemism?

Not to complicate matters Comrade, but "Harvest Festival" is what my Church calls Halloween. Because we cannot come right out and call it Halloween even though kids dress up and they get candy, two tons worth was given out on Church grounds this year with live music and a taco truck.

Moi? A vulgar euphemism? You have me confused with una, except those would be dysphemisms.

No, it's a real thing: Pardoning the Thanksgiving Turkey - White House Historical Association.

I need a lie down.

We watch the parade too, Kit. We also watch the dog show and cheer for the winner or grump that it wasn't our favorite dog that won.

Instead of watching football, we play board games and card games together as a family, and go for a walk after the meal. Pretty low key.

comrademoo, I'll echo what the others said. It's mostly a family holiday with lots of food. It's not uncommon for people to take off the day before to prepare food for the meal. My family eats a pretty traditional meal: Turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes with gravy, sweet potatoes, rolls, cranberry sauce. Plus our family favorites; Brussels sprouts, green salad, marshmallow salad. Lots of pies for dessert. We do potluck meal, so everyone brings different dishes. I am roasting pumpkins right and will make pumpkin pies later tonight. (One for the dinner and one for our post-Thanksgiving breakfast the next morning, our own family tradition.) I already made pumpkin dinner rolls, and will roast sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts tomorrow. My boys are cooking too. One is making the dressing, one mashed potatoes, one a berry crisp instead of a pie.

In our family being welcoming when sharing the meal is a big tradition, too. We always make extra food in case there are people who need a place to land for the holiday. Yesterday my sis texted to ask if she could invite her ex and his wife. (The answer was "Of course.")

To conclude my anthropological report, the nature and scope of Thanksgiving remain unclear to the tribe outsider and some strange rituals can be observed. However, the food sounds bloody lush.

Is that a euphemism?

Im on tenterhooks waiting for my dr to call in my refill prescription for beta blockers. Hes raising my blood pressure by putzing around on it. I need to find a new dr, but i figure i will wait until i see if i move or not. Otherwise friday i will just call an online dr and get them.

Eta - its an imperial holiday. I was gonna say "our most".

One administrator's response to my school not fulfilling an accommodations request for me: "This was a temporary non-optimal outcome."

Ya think?

It has changed a lot. But some traditions are maintained. In Virginia the Native American tribe pay a traditional tribute to the governor of game. (deer and turkey) This tradition has been held for 344 years - which may not be a lot for European history but considering the colonists first arrived 414 years ago. Thats most of the western history!

Has anyone mentioned the wishbones?

I am glad to hear that you are out of danger and your T will help.