Happy Thanksgiving

A very Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate it on this day, in America or abroad.

Being Australian, I have never celebrated Thanksgiving before. However, given all that has gone on this year - especially having lived through one of the world's strictest lockdowns - my family and I decided to try our hands at a traditional American Thanksgiving feast (or at least our version thereof).

We floated this idea in the throes of a very stringent lockdown, in a time where we were allowed out for 1 hour of exercise a day, had an 8pm curfew, could not leave the house without masks, and could not travel more than 5km from home. We all needed something to look forward to, so decided we'd try a Thanksgiving dinner. And now here we are, the day of our feast (or perhaps it would be better to call it a large roast for 4), in a state which has been Covid-free for 28 days thanks to the very lockdown that prompted our invention of some extra light in dark times. When our lockdown started, critics said we would never achieve a whole month without a single new case. Truth be told, it felt almost impossible even to those of us who fully supported all implemented measures. This is truly momentous for all of us.

Yes, there is much for us here in Melbourne to be thankful for this year.

I am very mindful that American (and Canadian, which I know was last month) Thanksgiving has it's own tradition and history, and I hope this won't be construed as cultural appropriation - it certainly is not our intent. Rather, a celebration we have watched from afar and are curious about. I hope you will see this as we intended it - much like Christmas, it is our own take on a tradition we are intrigued by. Our light at the end of what has been a very dark tunnel.

On our menu this evening (inspired closely by traditional American Thanksgiving dishes, but with some of our own twists):

• Turkey and cranberry sauce (our practice for the Christmas dinner we are hosting in a month)
• Mashed potato
• Roast sweet potato
• Green beans with pancetta
• Pumpkin pie meringue cheesecake

I think the horrors of this year have in many ways given us much to be grateful for, or reminded us to be thankful for that which we take for granted. I know many of you will be spending your Thanksgiving away from your families, and I'm truly sorry. I hope nonetheless you can find solitude in that which makes your life privileged, and feel comforted by the knowledge that your separation this year is what will prevent eternal separation.

I would love to hear how you celebrated Thanksgiving this year, and what you are thankful for. If you are feeling lonely, please feel free to reach out - I am more than happy to keep you company via IGM or forum, even if from the other side of the world

 

What a lovely post

I think it is wonderful you had Thanksgiving and are thankful for your blessings. May you continue to be Covid free

Our Thanksgiving was different than usual. We normally host the holidays for all the family, but this year it was just my own immediate family. My son had to work so it was just hubby, daughter, Mom and me. Mom only wanted potato soup and nothing else. Our decision to not invite anyone was not only for Covid reasons, but putting Mom's needs first.

Dinner was delicious...turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, rolls, a jello salad that is a family favorite and dessert was a blackberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream.

My very best wishes to you all.

 

We do not celebrate thanksgiving because I am a Muslim. However, that does not mean that I am not congratulating your thanksgiving. No matter what religion it is, it does not want a reason to thank Allah for the blessings. Happy Thanksgiving.

 

Thank you squigglegiggle for your wonderful and uplifting post! Thanksgiving is not a religious holiday, we celebrate the fall harvest
and then getting together to share the bounty by having a big meal!
My brother has COPD so needless to say there was only the 3 of us at the table, my sister, my brother and myself! We had turkey, mashed potatoes, candied sweet potatoes, squash, stuffing and gravy and of course cranberry sauce! We are all Thankful that so far we have all avoided covid19 I must say that later on we had Chocolate cream pie for desert!
Take care, stay safe and enjoy your turkey sandwiches...I will!

 

A very Happy Thanksgiving to you too and everyone else as well.
Congratulation on the 28 days, that is something worth being thankful for indeed.

Cultural appropriation; tisk, is that even a "real" thing? Personally, I think it shows a certain type of honor that one should think someone's celebration a worthy enough event to want to partake in. I think the world all over should have a Day of Thanks.

@imalattanhalka
Thanksgiving is a day of thankfulness but it is not per se a religious holiday. For instance, my blended family consists of those that pray and those that do not. Durning Prayer there are family members and some friends that just sit and wait for the pray to be done. After Prayer, we all take part in Giving Thanks by going around the table and sharing what we are thankful for; some even choose not to do that either. A bit weird but we respect each other's ways and it works for us. LOL and as for the menu that's always optional as well not everyone eats the (now) traditional foods. So enjoy what you and your family like.

According to documents of old..."There are only two surviving documents that reference the original Thanksgiving harvest meal. They describe a feast of freshly killed deer, assorted wildfowl, a bounty of cod and bass, and flint, a native variety of corn harvested by the Native Americans, which was eaten as cornbread and porridge." The holiday feast dates back to November 1621, when the newly arrived Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians gathered at Plymouth for an autumn harvest celebration, an event regarded as America's “first Thanksgiving.”

Our menu was...
***Turkey, mash potatoes, stuffing, gravy, candied jam, carrots, corn, string beans, ah we forgot the beets I know there was something missing, and hot biskets.
***Deviled eggs, cream cheese stuffed celery, pineapple and cheese chunk on a toothpick, macaroni salad with shrimp, grapes, cucumbers, raw carrots, and cranberry sauce.
***Pumpkin pie with wipe cream, apple strudel pie, baby cupcakes, and homemade truffles (new and sooo sinful .
Various coffee, egg nog and spiked egg nog, water, bug juice, and ginger ale,
***missing this year besides many loved ones was ham, baked mac and cheese, potato salad, chocolate cream pie, and Nilla wafers banana pudding with whip-cream.
@sanddollar15 a funny thing about cranberry sauce (I do get the smallest possible size) no one eats it but we for some unknown reason have it on the table every year. I don't know if somewhere over time someone has passed on that may have eaten it and no one has pulled it from the menu or we just want to have it in case a new guest may arrive and they may be looking forward to it. I guess it's like some peoples ever-loving fruit cake hahaha

This year there was more elbow room at the table than normal. Cell phones, once forbid at the dinner table were all alight. Many people 'showed up' for dinner via skype. Some phones had up to four separate houses connected at once. I must say it was a strange way but we made it work; however, I will be very Thankful if that should never happen again, except the normal calls to loved ones living abroad and across States.

"Pumpkin pie meringue cheesecake" That truly sounds wild. Is that a normal pie in Victoria or a family recipe?


PS thanks for the thread.

 

It sounds like a lovely day despite it's differences! Your dinner certainly sounds amazing

Chocolate cream pie sounds amazing! How lovely to spend the day with your siblings. If I could only spend a celebration with one family member, I'd want to spend it with my brother, too. Sibling relationships are so special

I'm glad our decision wasn't offensive! I too would feel the way you do, if someone chose to bring a bit of Australian celebration to their own country (not that we have many "classy" celebrations that people would want to take part in! The joy of being Australian ) but I know that when things are tied up in history and tradition it can be offensive if some seem cavalier with that or take it on for its pleasures without appropriately acknowledging the true meaning or history of said celebration. Thank you, by the way, for the time you took to explain the history. It's fascinating!

Apple strudel pie is one of my favourites. Your menu sounds wonderful!

Phones at the table is certainly a different way to celebrate. We had many birthdays this year via Zoom. How lucky we are that we live in a time when we can connect with others even when we can't physically be with them.

Neither! We've never had pumpkin pie before (it's such a non-existent thing in Australia that you can't even buy pumpkin puree in standard supermarkets, besides baby food - which we weren't about to fill a pastry shell with!) but my mum decided to try a different version from a recipe she found online. Personally I'd have liked to try the traditional pumpkin pie, but my mother is not a person one should critique or disagree with regardless, the dessert was extremely delicious and still had all the common flavours of Thanksgiving (to my best knowledge!)

 

So very true it is a great wonder. Especially in situations that need be; like when loved ones live in different States or Countries. As a way to meet new family members and friends but I just don't want the world to start making it a normal thing. We the human species need personal contact. It is good for our minds, hearts, and soul. There is nothing in this world like a loving hug.

Oh I laughed so hard. I could only imagine.

Yeap I know right, Mother knows best. I would have loved to give your pie a test.
If you had a place I could send some I would be happy to send the ingredients and spices.

 

I agree. In-person connection is so valuable. Even the simple matter of being around other people, be they friends or strangers.

Perhaps wouldn't be the best introduction to the famous pumpkin pie!

I'm sure I could find the recipe if you're interested!
We were able to puree our own pumpkin, and spices were no issue. Your generosity is much appreciated though!

 

That's not cultural appropriation at all. There is no reason a day to give thanks and hold your family close shouldn't be a worldwide holiday.

We had a downsized and distanced Thanksgiving this year. We had deep fried turkey, honey-baked ham, smoked beef brisket, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, dressing, green bean casserole, macaroni and cheese, cranberry sauce, rolls, and fudge brownies with vanilla ice cream for dessert. I took some of the turkey back with me, and it took me a little over 12 hours to empty it. It was soooooooooooooooooooooo good!

Your dessert sounds lovely. Pumpkin cheesecake is a popular seasonal dessert in my neck of the woods, and adding meringue on top must be tasty!