Thanksgiving Traditions Chez Angel Noire

Thanksgiving is about to descend upon us - and here at An Extra Slice of Nostalgia Pie, we can't wait!

Ever since Mr.D. and I became a couple, I've been celebrating Thanksgiving with him. It's a very special time for us and it's become one of my favourite holidays. Once upon a time, Thanksgiving wasn't such a big deal to our family and friends in Britain. Before I met The Fella, I barely gave Thanksgiving a single thought! But since moving out here, it means a lot to us that our family and friends overseas send us messages every year wishing us a happy Thanksgiving. Some of them have even celebrated Thanksgiving with us in the past before we moved out here, and years later, our friends in Edinburgh still rave about the Thanksgiving we celebrated several years ago now of which we also have very fond memories. Though what would really make it a happy Thanksgiving for us, is if all of those people could fly out and celebrate Thanksgiving here.

And there was that one year, about a year after we moved out here, that I ended up cooking Thanksgiving dinner for eleven people - the most I've ever cooked Thanksgiving dinner for. It was expected to be that way - at one point we almost had another two people join us - and I have to say, it was quite an experience! (All across America, people are going "Eleven people? Is that all???)

Going back to our first Thanksgiving together, I hadn't a clue what to do; how to celebrate it; what to prepare; I didn't know anything about the customs or traditions. I understood that a traditional roast turkey dinner was served, and that most people settled down to watch football and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving but not much else. So after interrogating Mr.D. about the dos and don'ts of Thanksgiving, he insisted that it really didn't matter what the traditions were - we should work on creating our own ones. I thought it was a lovely idea. I also knew that it was Mr. D.'s way of saying that he hadn't the foggiest what Thanksgiving traditions were despite having celebrated Thanksgiving his whole life!

So create our own traditions we did! Well not right away of course because the thing with traditions is that they need time to take root before they can be established as 'traditions.' Though I'm very glad to say that our first ever Thanksgiving meal has not become one of our traditions or else we'd be eating roast turkey, raw carrots, stuffing and nothing else every year!

So as I prepare to celebrate my fourteenth Thanksgiving with the man who introduced me to it all, I take a look at all things that are typically Mr. and Mrs. D and that we just have to include every year or else it won't feel so 'Thanksgivingy!'

1. CHURCH IN THE MORNING

For me, it's very important to start Thanksgiving by going to a church service exactly as I would do Christmas morning. Mr. D. isn't big on church but he does accompany me. It's my chance to give thanks for all the good things that have happened in the last year and gives me time to reflect. Thanksgiving doesn't have any real significance in Britain, so there are no special Thanksgiving masses over there. But even when we lived over there, we still attended a mass service in the morning whenever we could - unless this little thing called 'work' got in the way!

2. PANCAKE BREAKFAST

With thanks to Amanda Arnason at Pixabay (edited by Angel Noire)

Thanksgiving just isn't Thanksgiving without a traditional breakfast of pancakes drenched in butter and maple syrup with bacon/sausage and eggs. You might wonder why we'd be tucking into a very filling breakfast when we're going to be tucking into a gut-busting meal later on but when you come to number 5, you'll understand why!

3. ROAST CHICKEN DINNER

With thanks to Robert Owen-Wahl at Pixabay (edited by Angel Noire)

While most people celebrating Thanksgiving will be tucking into the traditional main meal of turkey with all the trimmings, in this household we'll still be serving up all those delicious sides, but we'll be replacing the turkey with chicken! Why? Well there was a time when the turkey used to be the focal point of the Thanksgiving banquet, just as it was with everyone else (unless you're a vegetarian of course!) I remember for Mr.D's first Thanksgiving in Britain, my mum insisted on cooking a leg of lamb because she absolutely hates turkey. Well, I'm sorry - I wasn't having any of it! I told mum she could have some lamb for herself if that's what she wanted but we were damn well having turkey! Of course I put it much more politely than that!

But since moving to rural New England and having flocks of wild turkeys roaming around our yard, the thought of seeing them served up on a platter with a portion of cranberry sauce became less and less appealing. And once we saw the poults running around, that pretty much made up our minds for us - it was over! My mother-in-law points out that the birds that come to visit us are not the same as the ones that end up on our plate. I told her that I couldn't very well eat their cousins, so turkey was definitely off the menu. Mind you, we do have chicken, so maybe I am eating their cousins after all! At this rate we'll be veggie for sure!

So we now always have chicken with all the trimmings including potatoes, stuffing, sweet potatoes and a whole lot of other dishes including... biscuits because I love them. Mr. D would much rather have Yorkshire pudding! This will be followed by pie and lots of it - including pumpkin.

And of course there'll be a round of sandwiches the next day!

4. CHICKEN MUST BE TOPPED WITH BACON

With thanks Gert Olesen at Pixabay (edited by Angel Noire)

I thought everyone wrapped the top of the turkey with bacon in order to keep it very moist - after all, no one likes dry turkey, do they? It's certainly something I consider a necessity. But it would seem that when I prepared Thanksgiving dinner in the States one year, many of Mr.D's family had never seen a turkey wrapped in bacon before. Some even thought it was my own invention (I wish!) They thought it was the most awesome thing they'd ever seen, and before the turkey even made it on to the table, the bacon had already been devoured!

I continue to do the same thing these days but with chicken instead of turkey.

5. A VERY, VERY, LATE DINNER

This is a cross between a tradition and coincidence as try as I might, I can NEVER get dinner on the table at a time when most normal people would expect to eat. But then we're not known for being a 'normal' household! From what I understand, most Americans have their traditional Thanksgiving meal between the hours of 1-3pm. Not in this house though!

With thanks to Arbaz Khan at Pixabay

There are many reasons why dinner is never served before 9pm. In fact the year, we celebrated Thanksgiving in Edinburgh with our friends, we were having such an awesome time that we didn't serve dinner until 11pm! That's right - 11pm!!! Although by the time I eventually sat down to eat, it was after midnight and Thanksgiving was officially over. But while I don't aim to have Thanksgiving dinner at midnight every year, I have to admit I do like the late dinner. Although if we do have guests, I do try to have dinner on the table before 6pm!

So the moral of the story is that if you want to eat on time, Chez Mr. and Mrs. D's is not the place to be!

6. FAMILY MOVIE MARATHON

Mr.D. is a movie nut so if it's just the family who are coming over, it's not unusual to find us watching movies until the early hours of the following day. We only stop to call friends and relatives, Mr.D. takes a break to game (also his chance to chat to his bestie who lives in North Carolina) and of course to scoff dinner!

And one movie that has become a staple for the holiday is the very un-Thanksgivingy Death At a Funeral! No idea why but that film always seems to come out at Thanksgiving.

7. GAMES WITH FRIENDS

If we are having friends over, we know that they will not want to sit around watching movies all day. So Mr.D. will watch his beloved movies until our guests arrive and then it's raucous party game time. They might be a bit old hat but charades and bingo always go down well and have proved to be an excellent ice-breaker with people we don't know very well. By the time they've put on their coats to go home, we'll have made a whole new bunch of friends.

8. CANDLES

There's nothing like candlelight, and every Thanksgiving I make sure there are candles dotted around the place - especially beautifully scented candles. One of the things our friends in Edinburgh remembered about Thanksgiving was how gorgeous the place looked bathed in candlelight and the welcoming aroma that greeted them as they entered the house.

And we always have a candlelit dinner for Thanksgiving because there's just something about that gentle, cosy glow and the warmth of the flickering candles as we're all sat around the table. In fact, come to think of it, that might be another reason why we serve dinner so late in the evening as a candlelit dinner at 1pm just isn't the same.

9. CHEESE BOARD

The first year we brought out a cheese platter, it was such a hit that I knew I had to do it again the following year, and now it's a tradition that's remained ever since. And let's face it, if you're going to eat dinner so late, you've got to produce something to keep your guests going and this cheese platter seems to be just the thing. And last year, everyone enjoyed nibbling on a selection of cheeses with crackers, mini sausages, apple slices, grapes and chutney in between playing charades.

10. I AM THANKFUL POEM

It was our first Thanksgiving as a married couple and we were living in the Pacific North-West when during the church service the priest read a beautiful poem that has stayed with me ever since. It's a reminder to be thankful for the little things and to count your blessings - even if it may not seem like a blessing at the time. The poem is called I Am Thankful by a talented poet named Nancie J. Carmody. I like to read it every Thanksgiving:

I AM THANKFUL

I am thankful for...

The mess to clean up after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends.

The taxes I pay because it means that I am employed.

The clothes that fit a little too snug because it means I have enough to eat.

My shadow that watches me work because it means I am out in the sunshine.

A lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home.

The spot I find at the far end of the parking lot because it means I am capable of walking.

All the complaining I hear about our government because it means we have freedom of speech.

My huge heating bill because it means I am warm.

The lady behind me in church who sings off key because it means that I can hear.

The piles of laundry and ironing because it means my loved ones are nearby.

The alarm clock that goes off in the early morning hours because it means that I'm alive.

Weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day, because it means I have been productive.

Let's be thankful - not only at Thanksgiving, but every day.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!