Thanksgiving

For those alums like me residing in the US this is a festival we look forward to. I am not sure if the reasons are the same as back when I was in school. I remember I used to look forward to the holidays in school as a break from the regular study routine replaced by a day or two of just hanging out with friends or playing games like cricket, football.

Thanksgiving is a harvest festival similar to the ones we celebrate in various parts of India, giving thanks for a bountiful harvest. Pongal and Baisakhi comes to mind. Thanksgiving is also referred to as Turkey day. The origins of the festival are obscured however the general belief is that around 1621 the native Indians saved the pilgrims (pilgrims were religious dissidents who separated from the Church of England and moved to Holland initially (1607) and then to the US 1620) from starvation by helping them cultivate their land and fish. The pilgrims thanked the native Indians by having a feast and the tradition continued to this day. Thanksgiving in the US is celebrated on the 4th Thursday in November.

So what happens for thanksgiving in modern times? Friends and families get together for dinner served earlier than usual. Unlike Christmas gifts are not exchanged. Food is served around 3 or 4 p.m and the spirit is to reflect and be thankful for all the things that have happened in the past year and reconnect with people one holds close. There is a lot of food on the table. Roasted turkey is a central attraction with stuffing of bread, sage (herb), celery, onions and carrots. For side dish there is Cranberry sauce, gravy, sweet potato mash, green bean casserole etc. Dessert is apple pie, pumpkin pie etc.

After all that gluttony the next day called black Friday is when people line up at the shopping malls starting at 4 a.m. sometimes 2 a.m. to be first into the shop to get the best deals on sale. Even if you don’t buy anything you need the exercise going shop to shop to burn the calories you gained from that one meal.

Happy Thanksgiving.