Do you observe Thanksgiving?

[Morrus]

Thanksgiving isn't a thing here in Sweden.

Similarly, I don't feel like Thanksgiving is big in Germany.

Why would it be?

Similarly, Americans don't observe the UK's Guy Fawkes Night, Sweden's Walpurgis Night, or German Unity Day. Or 300 other important cultural holidays across the world. American Thanksgiving is just a local custom observed by about 5% of people.

 

[Lanefan]

I'm sure this is going to be an unpopular opinion but it's starting to feel like we can't really celebrate anything outside of our own birthday due to any historical context/after effects. Every holiday seems to have something bad attached to it, at least that's how it feels to me.

New Year's Day seems pretty inoffensive...

 

[Arnie_Wan_Kenobi]

Why would it be?

Similarly, Americans don't observe the UK's Guy Fawkes Night, Sweden's Walpurgis Night, or German Unity Day. Or 300 other important cultural holidays across the world. American Thanksgiving is just a local custom observed by about 5% of people.

That just sounds like a failure of imagination on the part of AB-InBev to market them as major drinking holidays. (See: St. Patrick's Day, Cinco de Mayo.)

 

[MGibster]

Similarly, Americans don't observe the UK's Guy Fawkes Night, Sweden's Walpurgis Night, or German Unity Day. Or 300 other important cultural holidays across the world. American Thanksgiving is just a local custom observed by about 5% of people.

Don't even get me started on Boxing Day. When I saw the thread title, I just assumed everyone who answered yes would either be an American or a foreign national living in the United States. If I was in Germany, I'd certainly go hunt witches on Walpurgis Night with the rest of Bavaria.

 

[Clint_L]

I thought Boxing Day was originally British? When I was a kid, it seemed like it was a thing in Canada but not in the US.

 

[Morrus]

I thought Boxing Day was originally British?

Correct. We need a “Do you observe Boxing Day?” thread. I suspect it would be simpler to just combine them all into a general “Are you American?” thread, though I can give you those percentages without the need for a poll.

 

[MGibster]

I suspect it would be simpler to just combine them all into a general “Are you American?” thread, though I can give you those percentages without the need for a poll.

I've got the right picture for such a thread.

 

[Cadence]

GIven that you all have Christmas dinner on Thanksgiving, what do you have for dinner on Christmas day, if not Christmas dinner? I can't imagine Christmas day without the full turkey and all trimmings. It just wouldn't be Christmas!

Our Christmas-eve dinner has always been the big one for our family, with a standing rib roast at the center Dessert has always included a grasshopper pie (the liqueurs not the insects). Christmas dinner itself could be whatever.

 

[Cadence]

We start by watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and then watch the dog show. Might watch a feel good movie in the afternoon. Traditional Turkey dinner at night. (Babe? Peanuts Thanksgiving?)

On Friday we take down the orange strings of outdoor lights that have been up since early October as well as the scarecrows and other Fall themed things and begin the roll out of the Christmas decorations (the tree might not be fully finished being decorated until Saturday). Friday is also when Christmas movies become fair game, although we don't feel rushed to start them right away.

 

[trappedslider]

We start by watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and then watch the dog show. Might watch a feel good movie in the afternoon. Traditional Turkey dinner at night. (Babe? Peanuts Thanksgiving?)

It's not thanksgiving till I see Snoopy offering toast