The season of good will is upon us. And, rather delightfully, you U.S. folk have decided to slot in another holiday just before Christmas. Although my love of the TV series "Friends" (1994−2004) means I was aware of Thanksgiving, my knowledge of the holiday was somewhat limited. Unsurprising, really, since the very same TV show once led me to believe that "Chrismukkah" was a genuine holiday. Anyway, I did know that this holiday positively encourages the sin of gluttony, and I was enthusiastic about this new addition to my culinary calendar.
My first Thanksgiving experience was at the International Thanksgiving Dinner, at which we enjoyed the traditional delights of turkey, pumpkin pie and, erm, bingo. Yup, bingo — as in, the cross−out−numbers, win−big−prizes game. I love it when your first experience of a new tradition is governed by the mentality that "this is the way things are supposed to be," whether it's true or not — hence people's staunch defense of ludicrous family traditions. (OK, so my family has pork pie for Christmas breakfast every year — I think that's normal and the rest of you are weird.)
Therefore, my initial Thanksgiving experience meant I could dismissively look down on all future Thanksgivings as insufficient without a jolly good game of bingo. And what a game it was: presented with great humor and charm by a veteran Tufts lecturer with an impressive array of bingo calls.
The International celebration had many other merits: a gorgeous setting, wonderful food, a great crowd and a really moving reading by two children on the true meaning of Thanksgiving. My American friends had been somewhat vague on this subject, so it was nice being enlightened by a four−year−old where the adults had otherwise failed.
The next event on my Thanksgiving calendar was a feast organized by my roommate's mother, Mrs. B. Now, when I was first told that Mrs. B. was planning on cooking us a Thanksgiving meal, I could not have possibly envisioned what was to follow. Mrs. B. arrived with an entire car full of ingredients, including a sack of sweet potatoes, huge bags of beans and carrots, appetizers and a 25−lb turkey. She even had seasonal table cloths, disposable tableware and decorations — my personal favorite was a concertina turkey. After mixing frozen margaritas to get us all in the festive spirit, Mrs. B. assumed the role of head chef, and we began to prepare a huge feast for all to enjoy.
The plentiful appetizers and traditional Thanksgiving supper were so delicious that it was hard to believe they were catered en masse. Unbelievably, despite feeding the 15−or−so hungry souls present, there was enough leftover soup and salad that we enjoyed the spoils for several days.
Two Thanksgiving celebrations down, and there was still time for the main event — Thanksgiving Day. For this, my U.S. family whisked me down to Philadelphia to join in their family's celebrations. I enjoyed two more delicious turkey dinners with family and friends and, once more, I felt the need to go on a serious diet and exercise regime after all my experiences.
By now, I have the menu down−pat, and though I have a newfound love for turkey, cornbread stuffing and green bean casserole, these were not my personal highlights of Thanksgiving. For me, the very best thing about Thanksgiving was the opportunity to share food and spend time with friends and family. It made me realize how lucky I am to have all these wonderful new people in my life, and for that I am truly thankful.
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Tai Frater is a graduate student studying occupational therapy. She can be reached at Tai.Frater@tufts.edu.
