So, Thursday was Thanksgiving Day in the United States. It happened to be my first Thanksgiving and, thanks to a generous invitation from one of the Humphrey programme host families, also my first Thanksgiving Dinner.
For those concerned about my health, I can report that I did not end the evening in a "food coma". Certainly there was much to eat, and I did indulge (lots of turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, quiche, salad and so forth, including tasty chocolate mousse and pumpkin pie - separately, not together), but I managed to stand up at the end of the evening without loosening my belt or unbuttoning my pants (don't go there).
What I found interesting about the evening was the need for some of the Americans in attendance to hype up the day and for others to reflect on it in more somber tones. One guest commented that of all the holidays, Thanksgiving is perhaps the least demanding. All that's required is for friends and family to get together, eat, interact, and eat some more. No gifts are required; there aren't any demanding rituals (other than food preparation and consumption). I guess the implication is that it's a holiday with no strings attached. But later another guest noted that celebrating Thanksgiving is a little bit like celebrating genocide.
A quick wiki search (don't tell my students) suggests that Thanksgiving is really a kind of composite holiday. It is both a giving of thanks for the harvest and a remembrance of the Plymouth Colony Pilgrims, who are reputed to have held the first thanksgiving. But it's also a not so subtle reminder of the country's deeply disturbing history and the blood that was spilled in the creation of a new nation.
From National Public Radio: "Debunking Pilgrim Myths: The First Thanksgiving"
