Homesick for Thanksgiving?
VOCABULARY
When I first came to Austria, Thanksgiving was the holiday that made me feel the most homesick. The holiday itself is easy to explain – a secular, national holiday when people give thanks for the good things in their lives. But – at least where I came from – Thanksgiving was so steeped in traditions and emotions, it was hard for me to miss. Surely Americans from coast to coast experience Thanksgiving in different ways, but this is how things played out year for year in a rural, midwestern town in a middle-class family.
Starting in November, we began preparing for Thanksgiving in school. In history class we learned about the First Thanksgiving in 1621, when the Pilgrims and the Native Americans celebrated a feast to give thanks for the Pilgrims surviving their first year in the “New World”. In later years we read Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Thanksgiving proclamation, delivered in the midst ofa civil war: “I hereby invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November as a day of Thanksgiving.”
When the special day finally arrived, it was the turkey that got the most attention first – turkey meat being the traditional main dish of the Thanksgiving dinner (of course, there are alternatives for vegans and vegetarians). In the early morning of Thanksgiving Day, the turkey – purchased from a local farmer – was stuffed with seasoned bread, apples and chestnuts. It was then lovingly placed into the oven to bake for what seemed like an eternity. During this time, the family was entertained by watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade – broadcast from New York City and first organized in 1924 – on TV. The parade always ended with Santa Claus and his reindeer, ushering in the Christmas season.
Once the Thanksgiving table was set with the best tablecloth, silverware, candlesticks and dishes in the house, we sat down to a mouth-watering meal. A moment was taken to give thanks for the blessings of the year. Table-talk covered a wide range of topics, but very often politics (especially during election years) could lead to heated discussions. In addition to turkey, we ate indigenous foods – sweet potatoes, corn, green beans, squash, cranberries and pumpkin pie. Inevitably, after the meal, everyone was overcome by drowsiness. This was dispelled with strong coffee in time for the kick-off of the Thanksgiving football games that went on for hours and hours. The saying that Thanksgiving came with four Fs – family, friends, food and football – was not so far-fetched.
Nowadays, Thanksgiving still remains a beloved holiday, although how it is celebrated has diversified. As people become more health-conscious, not everyone falls into the “Thanksgiving coma” after the feast. Lounging in front of the TV is not everyone’s cup of tea either. Consumers have been more focused on their shopping lists, as Black Friday is scheduled for the next day – with its drastic price cuts. In times of a pandemic, massive shopping on Black Friday became a no-go. But you can bet that retailers will try everything to make sure that Christmas shopping does not fall short.
Despite changes in menus, activities and traditions, Thanksgiving Day still has a special aura. Surely we can all agree that – no matter what happens – there is always, always something to be thankful for. secular – weltlich steeped in – durchtränkt from coast to coast – von Küste zu Küste to play out – sich abspielen rural – ländlich to deliver – hier: verkünden midst – Mitte fellow citizens – Landsleute to sojourn – sich aufhalten attention – Beachtung to purchase – kaufen to stuff – füllen to season – würzen chestnut – Kastanie eternity – Ewigkeit broadcast – Übertragung to usher in – einläuten once – nachdem to set the table – den Tisch decken silverware – Besteck candlestick – Kerzenhalter mouth-watering – köstlich blessings – Segen topic – Thema indigenous – einheimisch corn – Mais squash – eine Kürbissorte inevitably – unvermeidlich drowsiness – Schläfrigkeit to dispel sth. – etwas vertreiben kick-off – Spielstart far-fetched – weither geholt to remain – bleiben health-conscious – gesundheitsbewusst to lounging – faulenzen cup of tea – nach jedermanns Geschmack to bet – wetten retailer – Einzelhändler to fall short – zu kurz kommen