We are about a week away from Thanksgiving, and you are probably thinking: should I do anything special? It all sounds like too much trouble, no matter who you are: a new immigrant, a busy working parent, an exhausted human being… And the combination of all above. But let me give you 5 reasons to celebrate Thanksgiving!
Before we start, let’s gather some information: what do we know about Thanksgiving? Ready? Go!
- Thanksgiving is celebrated on the last Thursday of November, and it is also opening a Holiday Season in America;
- Holiday Season has a feeling of the end of the year: people are looking at the progress they have made since January, managers conducting performance reviews, a lot of us traveling back home to visit our families;
- Thanksgiving is one of the most heavily traveled times of the year. If you are thinking about a trip, please check out this awesome article;
- Thanksgiving time has a special place in my heart because it is when my immigration story has begun in 2011. Very easy milestone to keep a track on!
Alright, I believe we are ready now! 😃 Here are 5 reasons for you to celebrate Thanksgiving:
1. Why Would Not You Try Something New?
During my 8 years here I heard this story from so many new immigrants: “Yeah, we are not going to celebrate Thanksgiving. Yeah, just going to go for a walk. It is not my holiday, I do not feel anything special about it, so I am not going to do anything for Thanksgiving”. My answer to that always was: “Why wouldn’t you try something new?”
It could be your special first-time celebrated Thanksgiving! I have a strong belief that the easiest thing that connects people is food. You can roast a turkey or maybe just a turkey breast, prepare your favorite version of potato (mashed, roasted, fried), chop up some green vegetables – and voila! – You are having a generous Thanksgiving table!
I remember that I was extremely curious about cooking Thanksgiving dinner. I got an idea from some magazines that on the table you should have green and orange vegetables, tanned turkey with stuffing and gravy, yellow potatoes and red cranberry sauce. What a feast of colors!
Last moment something got really mixed up in my head, so I made mashed sweet potatoes, got the wrong sausage for the stuffing, almost quit on the part of “deglazing the pan” for the gravy… But by the end of the day, I managed to make my first Turkey Dinner. Here is a picture:
2. It Does Not Need To Be A Turkey Dinner
If you do not want to go for turkey or tried it once and it was too much work, I have great news for you! It does not need to be a turkey dinner!
Thanksgiving originates as a harvest festival when the season of hard work on the fields is over, it is time to rest and also – you have a ton of food! That is why traditionally all Thanksgiving dinners are so plentiful. You are not going to leave the table until you are about to pass out! 😃
You can always cook something from your home country’s cuisine or do a take out from your favorite place. Or maybe you would want to experiment and make something completely new? The Internet and library’s cookbooks are full of recipes from all over the world. Also – do not hesitate to ask your American friends and coworkers about their Thanksgiving menu! People love to talk about their family’s recipes and little tricks in the kitchen.
Our family did a turkey dinner once – and after that, we were always downsizing. Turkey turned into a turkey breast, then turkey breast turned into a whole chicken, then the chicken turned into Hawaiian Poo-Poo Chicken Wings. 😋 Last year we made Buttermilk Chicken Thighs, Russian Dumplings, Mashed Potato with Chives and a Cheesecake. It was great, but we had to wear stretchy pants! 😉
3. Thanksgiving Is Not A Religious Holiday
If you want to celebrate Thanksgiving – you do not need to make compromises with your religious or atheistic beliefs. This holiday is about communication between old and new worlds, and also about appreciating and celebrating what you already have.
Please, go ahead and have fun making this Thanksgiving your own celebration that has a meaning to you!
4. It Is Time To Say “Thank you”
As you know, English is not my first language, and it means that sometimes I take things too literary. So naturally “Thanksgiving” for me is “Time for giving your Thanks”.
I am trying my best to live mindfully and appreciate the people around me. And I believe it is paramount important to be grateful in life.
At our Thanksgiving dinners, we always go around the table and asking each other what we are thankful for. And it always starts with small things (a new toothbrush, a walk in the park when the weather was good, a letter from a friend), but always goes more global.
I am grateful to the US for becoming my new country, for accepting me and giving me a feeling that I belong here.
At the same time, I am grateful for my home countries – Russia and Ukraine – for making me who I am now.
I am grateful for my amazing parents – my grandmother and my mom – for raising me as a happy and independent person.
Also, I am grateful for my family – for supporting me and encouraging me to follow my dreams 😃
And of course, I am grateful for my female friends – Dorota and Julienne – for always believing in me and helping me with this blog 😊
Your list can go on and on – you just need to spend a little time thinking about what you are thankful for.
5. Do It For Your Children
As parents, we going through a lot of troubles to raise our children right, so they can become the best versions of themselves when they are older. And like any loving parents, we are trying to provide the best experiences in their lives that are available to us. That is why we are choosing the best school for them, signing them up for swimming classes, buying them nice clothes so they can feel accepted and that they belong.
Well, you can look at the Thanksgiving celebration as one of the experiences you are giving them. For example, what will your children tell the class if they are asked to share their Thanksgiving stories?
Was it a turkey dinner? Maybe we made Thai chicken curry instead? Did we sing with the karaoke machine? Who came to visit? Or maybe we traveled somewhere?
Imagine, that your child does not know what to tell their class because they do not have a Thanksgiving story. How sad would that be?
If your children are growing up in America I would recommend you to help them with building their American experience. It will make them feel more comfortable in the long run.
Show Them How To Say Thank You
Going back to my previous point, if you approach Thanksgiving as a chance to be grateful and talk about it during the dinner – it will help your children to live a more mindful life as well! You can build a new tradition and pass it on to your kids.
I also like the idea of talking about appreciation and positive events at loud, because usually, we articulate things that bother or annoy us. In this case, you have a moment to say something nice, be sincere and put your feelings into words.
You can give a valuable experience of Thanksgiving to your children that will have a price of one dinner. It sounds like a good deal to me!
Thanksgiving Is An Important Part Of American Culture
I hope you I gave you enough reasons to celebrate Thanksgiving this year!
Even if you feel that it is not your holiday, you are the only person who can change that. We have the power to give meaning to events in our lives. You can give a try to a turkey dinner, make an impact in your community by volunteering or start your own Thanksgiving tradition.
Please have fun whatever you decide to do! Wishing you Happy Holidays! 🦃
Good luck to you!
