[EXPAT VOICE] Two cultures giving thanks

Throughout the United States, the fourth Thursday of November is a day devoted to sharing and giving thanks with family members. The first Thanksgiving in America is said to have taken place in Saint Augustine, Florida, in 1565. This celebration, however, was a Mass of Thanksgiving held by 600 Spanish settlers, led by Pedro Menendez de Aviles to give thanks for their safe arrival in the New World. The modern American Thanksgiving, a harvest festival with roots reaching back centuries, traces its roots to the feast and celebration held on the grounds of the Plymouth Plantation in what later became Massachusetts, one of the 13 original American colonies.

According to tradition, Squanto, a Native American member of the Wampanoag tribe, came and showed the early Pilgrims how to catch fish and eels and how to grow crops such as corn in order to survive in their new home. Following their first harvest in 1621, the Pilgrims set aside a day to celebrate and give thanks for their first successful harvest. This was not a new idea since harvest festivals were common in both the English and Wampanoag cultures.

In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared the fourth Thursday of November to be the official date of Thanksgiving. However, it was not until 1941 that the United States Congress passed a resolution that set this as the official date for the holiday, and when President Roosevelt signed this bill, Thanksgiving Day became an official federal holiday.

Across the country, Thanksgiving Day is an important observance as families and friends gather together to prepare a feast, catch up with relatives they have not seen recently and watch the parades and football games that are integral parts of the day. For Americans living abroad, this day usually passes by unnoticed in their new lands. However, many Americans try to keep hold of this tradition that connects them to their homeland and loved ones. Some will have a Thanksgiving meal on Thursday, while others will move their celebrations to the weekend in order to make it more convenient.

In İstanbul, several friends and I are still trying to work out arrangements for our group celebration. The merits of locations have been discussed, as well as trying to decide who has the most room in their kitchen so that the preparation work can be easily shared. Recipes are swapped and planning has been underway for several weeks to decide who will be responsible for bringing their favorite culinary treats for the day.

This year, Thanksgiving falls during the Kurban Bayram holiday, also known as the Feast of Sacrifice. For many of us who have no close family nearby, Kurban Bayram is often spent quietly in our own homes. However, with both holidays coming together this year, there is an extra air of excitement and community for us. Two important holidays falling together gives us all time to gather together, share, reflect on our lives and give thanks for what we have. Since many businesses are closed for the bayram, those of us who celebrate Thanksgiving will have a little extra time off, making it easier for us to observe our own holiday traditions.

At our home, my son and I began making holiday preparations early. We have decorations ready, including his small stuffed turkey that will once again be the centerpiece for the table. Since he has days off from school, we will be able to extend our holiday for a couple more days. The meal that has been planned along with friends will most likely result in many leftovers that will be divided up among us all so that we can continue to savor the holiday past Thursday.

At our house, from Wednesday through Sunday we will listen to music that is for me a holiday tradition -- Arlo Guthrie’s song “Alice’s Restaurant.” This somewhat long song, referred to by some as an anti-war ballad, relates the events surrounding a Thanksgiving past. Radio stations across the country feature the song on Thanksgiving Day as part of their musical line-up. Even my son has begun to learn the lyrics to the song and he attempts to keep up with the story as it musically unfolds.