more participants at Jenny Matlock's Alphabet Thursday
Before I started blogging I didn't really know what Thanksgiving meant. I had only seen on TV when an American President showed up with a fat turkey and then saved him from the stove. We found that rather funny.
Of course we don't celebrate Thanksgiving as we didn't sail with the Mayflower to another continent but stayed here. Not even I have a great, great, great etc. uncle who was on that boat ! I digged a little in history and learned that only 54 from the original 102 pilgrims survived the cruise and only because they were fed by 91 Indians (today called American Natives). If they would have known what happened later, they probably would have eaten their harvest alone. For them it wasn't really a thanks giving celebration for the next +/- 360 years.
I also knew from my aunt's letters when she celebrated Thanksgiving with friends and family. She had married an American just after the war and was my mother's sister. She sent lots of recepes to prepare a good stuffed turkey, which we had then on Christmas, when they showed up in Germany. Before we had chicken.
When Europeans first encountered turkeys in the America Continent, they thought they were imported through Turkey and that name stuck as the name of the bird. It's amazing what I learn in Wikipedia !
In Waterloo there are lots of Americans living and therefore the stores stocked fat deepfreezed turkeys imported from the States together with all ingredients which usually you can't find here, but business is business.
Our turkeys can live a little longer, at least until Christmas.
I wish all my American friends a very happy Thanksgiving and please put a little piece of turkey for me aside !
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I love your comment about the Natives not sharing had they been able to see into the future! That certainly is true, which makes it seem like a bad thing to celebrate now. Good to get an outside perspective once in a while. That's why I am celebrating the day as a harvest celebration!
ReplyDeletewell i guess it just goes to show that you never know what's going to happen when you invite strangers (the pilgrims) to dinner ... tee he he
ReplyDeleteI grew up in a town where we had an active Native Indian Tribe. Many of my classmates were Indian.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it is true that many Native Americans live in poverty here, many do not. Many tribes have opened casinos and sell cigarettes and alcohol and that has made the tribe a lot of money!
Hi, Gattina. No big bird for us. (We're on a diet.) The thighs taste the best anyway, so we just have those. I love your cartoon.
ReplyDeleteMargaret (Mandu's mom)
You and I were thinking along the same lines when we wrote our posts! I love learning about the real history of things. Thanks for an informative and FUNNY (loved the Bush pic) post.
ReplyDeleteHow interesting Gattina.
ReplyDeleteThanksgiving should be an international holiday.
It's a day of thanks for having food on the table and family and a day for sharing closeness between people.
I think it's a good thing.:)
Thanks for your visit!!! I love that you came on over with your happy greetings! Now I'm sending you blessings and good wishes for a marvelous week!
ReplyDeleteCoralie
Hello Gattina
ReplyDeletethank you for stopping by and visiting with me and the BEAR
i love your cats ~ they are so cute
and i took a look at your blog
and saw your new arrival
hope he is doing well
~victoria~
I never knew that about turkeys. That is really funny. And you are right about the Native Americans. Thanks for your post.
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteGood facts here and humor.
No turkey here, Ma and me decided on Capon (neutered rooster)little more moist than turkey and just as plump.Good though.
When we lived in Germany in hte 80's and 90's I made a Thanksgiving dinner for our neighbours and it was a big hit. I loved the exchange of customs - we all learned so much from one another.
ReplyDeleteTrue, Thanksgiving is not celebrated in Manila, but I have American friends and last night we enjoyed a bi turkey spread, stuffing, gravy and all! Still I don't wait for a holiday to be thankful. There is something to give thanks for every day.
ReplyDelete[I used to come to Waterloo quite often as we had a family friend named Mimi living there. A few years ago she moved to France.]
You know, my British SIL wondered aloud last night about that tradition of pardoning the turkey. Said he thought it quite silly. I agreed.
ReplyDeleteI have a good friend who is Native American and she actually loves Thanksgiving! She looks at it as a time to spend with family and friends...
ReplyDeleteA thoughtfully provoking post. Thank you for sharing. I saved you some turkey! Anne
ReplyDeletehonest post.
ReplyDeleteHope you know now...
people celebrate harvests and give thanks to people in life...
original one comes from Americans trying to gives thanks to Indian Americans who shared their food when they first landed in the U. S.
Blessings fly your way.
awards/treats 4 u
Thoughtful and thought provoking.
ReplyDeleteAnd the turkey carving picture just totally made me laugh.
It was interesting to read this perspective.
I'm thankful you shared it with us!
A+