Does your family/community celebrate American Thanksgiving?

Ema of 5

Tue, Nov 25 2014, 11:24 pm

amother wrote:

As oppposed to Canadian Thanksgiving? We're American so if we were going to celebrate, it would be the American one. But there's no way I'm serving a big feast on a Thursday, esp. Thursday before the shortest or second shortest Friday of the year. I work Friday and get home maybe 45 min before candlelighting. But even if I were off on Friday--after a big feast on Thursday what am I going to do for a follow-up for Shabbos? And who would even be hungry? So I do what any intelligent American Jewish balaboste would do, namely cook turkey (bought on sale) and all the traditional T-day fixin's on Thursday and serve them on Shabbos. This year, however, the T-day "sales" were a travesty. 50 cents off the regular price per lb. of a frozen kosher turkey, AFTER you spent $75 on other groceries? Moichel toives. This year it's chicken. Cranberry sauce I serve all winter anyway. Pumpkin pie I don't like so I don't make it. [bold]And marshmallows over sweet potatoes is a nauseating concept. [/bold]

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the holiday. I consider it an American holiday like Labor Day or Independence Day, nothing about it offensive or inappropriatefor Jews, it just comes at the wrong time for me to observe it the traditional way. Maybe if it were on a Monday...

Speak for yourself....I know plenty of people who like marshmallows and sweet potatoes. It was one of my favorite things about thanksgiving when I was younger, and no matter how hard I try I can't get mine to taste the same.

To answer the question, growing up we used to get together with very close family friends, and we celebrated (ate) together. To this day our families are very close with each other. I remember watching the parade with my grandparents, something my kids won't do (well at least not my boys) because they have school. It was a day to spend with close friends and/or family.
We have been married for 8 years, and have never done thanksgiving. It's not even on the radar in my husbands family. He goes to work like any other day. This year I decided that I want to make a thanksgiving shabbos, so well do that instead.
Pumpkin soup
Turkey roast
Sweet potatoes with marshmallows
Corn muffins or cornbread
"Turkey" fruit platter

Ema of 5

Tue, Nov 25 2014, 11:28 pm

zaq wrote:

and my response to that "mother's day every day" is, lehavdil, we remember yetzias mitzrayim every day, but we still celebrate Pesach; we remember the churban every day but we still fast on Tisha B'av. Mother's Day isn't to honor our moms but to CELEBRATE them. Obviously it makes no sense to honor our mothers one day a year and diss them the rest of the year, and that would be against our religion anyhow, but we're not taking them out to dinner and buying them flowers and chocolate (or ties and aftershave, if we're talking fathers) every day, either. There's nothing wrong with choosing a day to make a special fuss over them. Or choosing a day to reflect on how fortunate we are to be living in here and not in any of a host of other places that are not quite so hospitable.

This must be repeated over and over and over.

rosenbal

Wed, Nov 26 2014, 1:06 am

mommy2b2c wrote:

Nope. Not at all. It's a real American thing, so the longer your family has been in America the more likely you are to celebrate it. People who's families are here since the early 20th century are more likely to celebrate it.

Not neccesarily. My parents immigrated from a communist country and celebrate Thanksgiving and always toast this country and thank G-d for it. I've rarely seen natural born Americans appreciate it as much. Yes, people celerate TG, but they don't always appreciate our country and what it stands for. Sometimes it takes an immigrant to point it out.

Ema of 5

Wed, Nov 26 2014, 1:21 am

amother wrote:

There is nothing wrong with choosing not to celebrate it either. It's not like instead of thanksgiving they're having a "let's criticize America" gathering that day. That would be wrong.

No one said there is. I'm just agreeing with zaq and saying that what she said is very important. That there is nothing wrong with settin aside a specific day to honor our parents or celebrate the freedom we have in this country. Of course there's nothing wrong with not celebrating. But I agree with her and I think it's a very valid point to disagree with people who say "we do it every day, so we don't need a special day."

(P.S. Why are you amother?)

amother

Wed, Nov 26 2014, 2:44 am

Of course, and we live in Israel.
My grandparents came to the United States so that they could practice their religion free from persecution, and they benefited from the bounty and freedom they found there. My grandfather a" h used to say that he had lived under Tsar Nicholas and FDR and felt it was a chiyyuv to show his hakaros hatov. He was also a lifelong Zionist who eventually made aliyah. No contradiction.
Anon because of identifying information.

Emily Thorne

Wed, Nov 26 2014, 9:28 am

dancingqueen wrote:

Yum!

Both sides of our family celebrate. I think the mo posters probably all celebrate if they live in the US. I'm curious if any of the other posters do?

We never celebrated Thanksgiving and I actually dont know anyone that does celebrate. I can bet you if ask anyone in Boro Park or Williamsburg most dont even know when it comes out unless your work gives off! (which in that case im really grateful to America) Besides, just out of curiosity what does giving thanks have to with eating stuffed turkey?? like an above poster mentioned the reason she eats the food is to show gratitude to an amazing country like the U.S? And why isnt it chukas hagoy?? Im actually asking, not looking to start a debate.

mommy3b2c

Wed, Nov 26 2014, 1:55 pm

rosenbal wrote:

Of course not necessarily. Just more likely.

heidi

Wed, Nov 26 2014, 1:59 pm

sgmama wrote:

I can bet you if anyone in Boro Park or Williamsburg tried to be as outwardly Jewish as they are in America, tried to get the amazing benefits and freedoms that they enjoy, in any other country in the world they would find out that they should be extraordinarily grateful to be living in the US of A.

Eating a turkey on Thanksgiving doesn't make you more or less frum-- but it is certainly NOT chukas hagoyim to take a day and thank Hashem for allowing you to live in a country that allows you the freedom to not even know when a national holiday "comes out."

mommy3b2c

Wed, Nov 26 2014, 2:02 pm

groisamomma wrote:

I needed this laugh, thank you Barbara.

While we don't sit down to a Thanksgiving meal, I celebrate the day off by taking my kids out of school for a bit and doing something special with them. Same for all legal, national, religious holidays. You know, when my colleagues discuss their Thanksgiving plans I feel awkward saying we don't do Thanksgiving. For some reason it feels wrong not to celebrate the fact that we are fortunate to live in this free country. OTOH I get emotional every day when I say the pledge; I believe I say it more sincerely than most people that do celebrate Thanksgiving.

I'm not sure this makes sense to anyone but me. LOL

I know what you mean about not wanting people to think I'm ungrateful when I say I don't celebrate thanksgiving. But I'm not ungrateful at all. I'm actually extremely patriotic and proud to be an American and a citizen of he greatest country. I just don't celebrate thanksgiving.

etky

Wed, Nov 26 2014, 2:10 pm

heidi wrote:

Well said!
Sgmama- Turkey and other foods like corn and squash are consumed to commemorate the 'First Thanksgiving', when the Pilgrims and the Indians who had taught them how to cultivate the indigenous crops celebrated Plymouth colony's first harvest together.

rosenbal

Wed, Nov 26 2014, 2:23 pm

We join in our parents or in law's Thanksgiving. Just so you know, R Moshe DOES have a teshuva discussing Thsnksgving and whether or not it's chukas hagoyim or not.

I don't remember his exact answer embarrassed

, it's been a while since I've seen it. I recall that it was nuanced. I do believe it was slightly different than 4th of July, I just don't remember why. That's why my DH and I wouldnt personally make a thanksgiving meal just for our immediate family, but would join or even host extended family for the sake of family etc. (Not to mention that were both very, very patriotic Americans, always vote ettc.)

Intersting , my kids go to a yeshivish (oot) school and many chol teachers will do a mini unit on Thanksgiving. Not all.
Its not part of the curriculum, but neither is it assured.

youngishbear

Wed, Nov 26 2014, 4:36 pm

Native americans actually consider Columbus Day a national tragedy for their people. I came across some speeches when I researched the Columbian Exchange.

That is understandable, because Columbus and/or the rest of the conquistadors imported smallpox, which wiped out a huge percentage of the native population. Not to mention the awful way they treated the "Indians".

Thanksgiving is probably not as emotionally charged, afaik. It celebrates the peaceful cohabitation of the natives and the European settlers. I'm sure that would be their preferred choice.

Barbara

Wed, Nov 26 2014, 4:42 pm

youngishbear wrote:

Well, these are a couple of the memes I keep seeing from Native American friends on Facebook.