Do you observe Thanksgiving?

[overgeeked]

I realize it's your poll, but I wouldn't count those as "observing Thanksgiving," since many people in the US have it off from work/school regardless of how they feel about it.

Similarly my family is not Jewish, but my kids get Yom Kippur off from school, so we normally do something fun that day. I do not consider it "observing Yom Kippur."

I’d echo that.

Taking advantage of getting the day off in a country with little to no vacation time isn’t “observing the holiday.” Doing the specific holiday stuff or doing your own take on the holiday, sure.

We “observe” it in the OP’s overly broad sense, but we don’t observe it in any way remotely resembling the holiday. Mostly for similar reasons as OP. Immediate and extended family that is indigenous.

 

[MarkB]

The one that always seems weird to me as a Brit is Bonfire Night. On the one hand we're making a family event out of symbolically executing a person via immolation, with the kids being traditionally the ones to prepare the sacrifice. And on the other we're celebrating the failed detonation of our seat of government with a series of loud and spectacular explosions, which kinda has a feeling of "yeah, but it would've been really cool, wouldn't it?"

None of which really seems to enter the minds of most of the people who actually celebrate it - it's just a great excuse to eat junk food and watch pretty lights. And that's perfectly fine, but it still just feels weird.

 

[dragoner]

What does he do all month? Force the local kids to trick or treat him every day? Hold Halloween costume parties nightly? How does one celebrate Halloween for a month?

You should see his house, he has like a whole haunted walk around one side, it is a bit of work, fairly impressive.

 

[gnarlygninja]

By the definition outlined here, yes. I live two thousand miles away from my family, so for a while I made getting really into a Friendsgiving the substitute for a few years, before getting burnt out when I realized my friends do not give back anything close to the amount of energy I was putting into it. Now I just find a restaurant that's open and go eat Turkey there.

 

[sevenbastard]

Least favorite holiday. The traditional foods are rubbish and you are not encouraged to light fireworks, get dressed up, etc.

It only redeeming feature is Football.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

By the definition outlined here, yes. I live two thousand miles away from my family, so for a while I made getting really into a Friendsgiving the substitute for a few years, before getting burnt out when I realized my friends do not give back anything close to the amount of energy I was putting into it. Now I just find a restaurant that's open and go eat Turkey there.

I've been in similar shoes.

Firehouse Subs has a great sub with all of the Thanksgiving standards on it. I would grab one of those -- or a counterpart -- put up my feet and watch the extended editions of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

 

[The Firebird]

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.

It takes a while for things to change. There is a Buffy episode from 1999 that takes aim at Thanksgiving, albeit in ways that have not aged particularly well. I'm a little older than the episode but I can't remember a time when Thanksgiving was presented as a "good" holiday. In elementary school we got lectures about how the traditional narrative (which we had never heard, mind you) was wrong. In my experience, complaining about the holiday is one of the traditions.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I'm a little older than the episode but I can't remember a time when Thanksgiving was presented as a "good" holiday. In elementary school we got lectures about how the traditional narrative (which we had never heard, mind you) was wrong. In my experience, complaining about the holiday is one of the traditions.

I think this is a regional thing. There are parts of the US where saying a bad word about Thanksgiving will get a teacher a very stern conversation with school administrators and possibly a full-fledged freakout by school board members.

 

[gnarlygninja]

I've been in similar shoes.

Firehouse Subs has a great sub with all of the Thanksgiving standards on it. I would grab one of those -- or a counterpart -- put up my feet and watch the extended editions of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Last year I watched seagulls steal from fisherman while eating outrageously overpriced turkey and mashed potatoes, this year I'm considering eating outrageously overpriced turkey on a harbor cruise.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I’m an American, and my family observes Thanksgiving.

For context: We don’t have any illusions about European colonialism- our ancestors include Africans, Choctaw, Taino, Peruvians and others. But- like Christmas- we like to use the holiday to see old friends and bond with family over food. 20-30 guests is typical.

Most years, we host for both, and I’m the main cook. I typically prepare a turkey and as many as 5 hot sides, and we buy a couple of things as well. (And all are encouraged to bring food to share and take some when they leave, but it’s a time for me to show off. )

This year is a little different. For Thanksgiving, we’re hosting a small get-together at a Brazilian churrascaria, and Christmas may be hosted at my paternal aunt’s house. If I’m not hosting, my holiday cooking will be VERY limited this year.

My (non-exhaustive) arsenal of dishes offered over the past decade has included:

Steamed Turkey on bed of veggies (onions, carrots, onions, celery, etc.)
Mirliton (chayote) squash
Macque Choux (corn or green beans)
Greens (mustard, collard or turnips)
Roasted Yukon gold potatoes
Roasted tomatoes
Glazed ham (based on my deceased maternal aunt’s recipe)
Gumbo
Meatloaf
Beef stew (modified from Hungarian goulash)
Boiled Shrimp
Steamed mini corn on the cob
Dressing (Oyster, Hot sausage & mushroom, Beef & mushroom or Chicken gizzard & mushroom)
Pie Blitz (cherry, apple, or peach)

(Some pictures & recipes available on request.)