10.10.2005

happy thanksgiving

I've just been reading about Canadian Thanksgiving, which sounds very similar to Thanksgiving in the US, without the football and the Macy's Day Parade.

I haven't celebrated a traditional Thanksgiving in I don't know how long. Some years Allan and I would serve meals to homeless people, sometimes we'd go to a friend's house, and one year we hosted a big gathering of friends. Mostly we'd get some profitable overtime the night before and the day after, and spend the holiday enjoying some quiet time at home together.

So it's kind of amusing that this year we end up doing the family thing for both the Canadian and US Thanksgivings. My mom's visit is purely coincidental, then we'll go to New Jersey in late November, when all our nieces and nephews will be at their parents' home.

I wish Canadian readers a very happy Thanksgiving. I'm very grateful to be here.

10 comments:

Sass said...

When I moved here, the whole "Thanksgiving in November" thing threw me off. Besides, why is the US Turkey day so damn close to XMas anyway? I mean, do we really need two big eating holidays right next to each other? I'd also note that, in my experiences, Canadian Thanksgiving is far less decadent, far less about stuffing yourself to the point of near explosion. US Thanksgiving, in constrast, seems to be a marathon-like eating contest.

laura k said...

Besides, why is the US Turkey day so damn close to XMas anyway?

Because US T-Day commemorates the pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock, and how the native people saved them from starving to death. The Xmas thing is a coincidence.

Canadian Thanksgiving is far less decadent, far less about stuffing yourself to the point of near explosion.

Well, that makes sense, given the differences between the countries.

teflonjedi said...

Canadian Thanksgiving is far less decadent, far less about stuffing yourself to the point of near explosion

As one of those Canadians living down here in the Boston area, who had Thanksgiving dinner last night with a whole bunch of other Canadian ex-pat physicists, all I can say is (burp) all that tryptophan I ingested with all that turkey last night really put me to sleep like a baby!

--But, that's bound to happen when it was a Thankgiving party. Never ate quite so much, at home with the folks.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

laura k said...

had Thanksgiving dinner last night with a whole bunch of other Canadian ex-pat physicists

Cool! There is a community of Canadian physicists living in the US?

barefoot hiker said...

I wish Canadian readers a very happy Thanksgiving. I'm very grateful to be here.

Don't worry, Ottawa will be reminding you of your gratitude next April 30th... along with all the rest of us. :)

But now you get two Thanksgivings! :)

laura k said...

Don't worry, Ottawa will be reminding you of your gratitude next April 30th

Hmm, I'm curious about what that's gonna look like...

teflonjedi said...

Cool! There is a community of Canadian physicists living in the US?

There aren't that many physicists in the world, period, so we tend to know each other. I was over at the home of my friends, C&P. They're both physicists, and I was in the same graduating class as C, and went to their wedding back in 1995. There were 3 other Canadian physicists also in attendance, also connected through C&P, through grad school or work.

It's not like we have a little commune going, though. Just bear in mind, the US isn't graduating enough American physicists, so the rest have to come from somewhere...

laura k said...

Interesting. Not something I'd ever know about, but for the blogosphere.

zydeco fish said...

I looked forward to Thanksgiving so that I could watch my grandmother eat a whole pie. She is a marvel.

barefoot hiker said...

I looked forward to Thanksgiving so that I could watch my grandmother eat a whole pie. She is a marvel.

Was that "marvel" or "marble"? :)