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Thanksgiving is an American National holiday celebrated on the 4th Thursday of November.
In our days, the tradition of the Thanksgiving continues by family reunions, turkey, parades and American Football Games.
What is Thanksgiving about?
Oh...Thanksgiving!
Traditionally, Thanksgiving is about when the Pilgrims came over from England,
and they had a big feast thanking Indians for providing them with food.
Well....we celebrate Thanksgiving in the United States as a day of giving thanks for all things that we are fortunate to have.
What is Thanksgiving for you?
Thanksgiving is probably one of my favorite U.S. holidays, it was my father's favorite holiday.
My father earlier said he loved this holiday, because you didn't have to do anything but eat.
It was just a day for the family to come together, people to appreciate each other.
Thanksgiving to me was a time of tremendous demonstration of the ability of the American culture to assimilate outside elements,
because at Thanksgiving we had my grandfather who was from Devon and he talked like this.
And then we had my grandmother who came from Liverpool and she talked like this.
My father was English who said he spoke a very-very fine English accent like this...
and my mother was Canadian so she spoke a little bit like me.
And yet all these different accents in 1950's when I was growing up would gather around the table
and observe all the traditions of the American Thanksgiving, from the exposed turkey to the apple pie and pumpkin pie.
It's just mostly a family holiday. It's time for everyone to come together.
You come together, you share a meal, a very big meal.
Feasting together is one of the most integral and delightful part of the Thanksgiving celebration.
How do you celebrate Thanksgiving in your family?
Thanksgiving is always a time to spend with family and friends.
We do the turkey, we have all the food that is very traditional like cranberries sauce and mashed potatoes,
and certainly a pumpkin pie and things like that are very special for us.
Everyone loved it! Including the cat,
as the Thanksgiving turkey was always exposed on the table and we were going to another room
for a little social time rest-station of things we were thankful for.
The cat would express her appreciation for what she was thankful for
by getting up on the table and nibbling at the turkey.
In my family, most folks enjoy sitting down as a family, have a meal together, and spending time together.
Personally I like playing touch football in the morning, which I will be doing with my friends.
Yeah....you eat a big turkey, pies, food and you're stuffed to the gills
and then you cannot move for the rest of the afternoon, you watch football.
We play football. My maternal grandfather who used always to prepare a smoked turkey
which is an unbelievable delicacy.
And we watch the Dallas Cowboys - America's team play every Thanksgiving.
The traditional stuffed turkey adorns every dinner table during the feast.
How long does it take to cook a turkey?
Oh my......most of the day!
3 - 3 and half hours depending on how big the turkey is.
Turkey, you might not know has a side effect - it makes you sleep.
There are also different ways to prepare the turkey. You can do the traditional turkey when you roast it,
which is the way most people do it, but you also can deep fry it.
Actually I cook the turkey in our family. I fry it. And it only takes 45 minutes.
I'll tell you, it takes about one football game and about 3 or 4 beers.
Pumpkin pie, cranberries sauce, corn are some of the dishes cooked everywhere to mark the day.
What is your favorite Thanksgiving dessert?
I personally like apple pie. Some people like pumpkin pie. It has to be a pie....some kind of pie.
In our house is pumpkin pie.
Pumpkin pie! Always pumpkin pie!
Our son will not let a Thanksgiving go without pumpkin pie.
Can you define Thanksgiving in one word?
No! But I can define it in three words: Giving of thanks.
Thanksgiving in one word.....Family!
Gratitude!
Family for me.
Reflection
What would be your Thanksgiving message?
We will say Happy Thanksgiving to Moldova.
It is a wonderful holiday and a wonderful tradition and I hope that all Moldovan people take some time as well
to think about they are grateful for,
or be thankful for having good family and friends, and good things to eat.
Be thankful!
Enjoy a meal be it however simple and just give thanks for the fact that we have the opportunity to be here on the earth.
Celebrate all the wonderful things in life.
Think about what they are thankful for.
Thanksgiving is the time to be grateful for all the good things in life.
It's time to acknowledge the good deeds of the fellowmen and be thankful to your friends and family
for their love, care and support.
Happy Thanksgiving!