Thanksgiving

[Cat]

Maybe it's a silly question, but is there a difference between Canadian en American Thanksging?

My friend has got an american boyfriend and this is his first year in the Netherlands. They have invited me for Thanksgiving in November, so now I'm confused. I suppose he has got the date right, but that would mean that thanksgiving in Canada is on another date! Please help me out!

Other question: what can I expect?
I always heard it is a day of eating a lot of food and watching footbal afterwards (will be kinda difficult over here, we only have soccer).
Do I have to stop eating e few days in advance? what do you think?

Thanks!

Cat

[Kim]

Hi Cat!!

Yep, it's on a different day, weird I know.

It's definately a day of eating.. What you can expect is:

Turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, various vegetables, stuffing, cranberry sauce and for dessert-pumpkin pie and sometimes apple pie as well.
That's your typical Thanksgiving dinner.

Usually there is so much food that people have turkey sandwiches for the next week after Thanksgiving.

Football usually goes along with it, esp. for American thanksgiving but really, I think it's a way for the men to get out of helping cook the huge dinner!

Kim

[me]

Hi, Cat!

the american thanksgiving is the 4th Thursday in November. that's the 28th this year.

the holiday's root's predate the usa, itself. the colonists were giving thanks for the bountiful harvest which allowed them to survive.

in canada, Thanksgiving is on america's Columbus day, mid october, that is the date when ol' Chris sighted land back in 1492. but, the native americans, whom canadians call "first peoples," (right Kim?) corectly feel that Columbus' arrival is what led to their demise. Ergo, that date isn't much celebrated by pc americans (much to the distress of many italian-americans, for whom Columbus is still something of an ethnic hero)

that last part may be too political. but, it's good that you get some background. actually, not many people care about all that in america. it's just a day to eat turkey and watch american football on the tube. and a 4 day weekend - wohoo!

[Kim]

First Nations is more commonly used as opposed to First Peoples.

K
(who wishes Thanksgiving wasn't over for us!)

[Cat]

Thanks everyone for your replies!!!!!


(eager for her first Thanksgiving dinner)

Cat