Comments on: Thanksgiving Notes for Brits

By: Lorri

Lorri — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 21:46:00 +0000

I’m American, and my family has never cooked a Green Bean Casserole and never will.

Please realize the variety of traditions and different levels of cooking skill and sophistication in different households!

This reminds me of a German guy with a green card I once knew who looked at the grocery store ads in the newspaper and concluded that Thanksgiving was about a lot of canned goods.

I had to set him straight. There is always a danger that expats only pick up on the lowest common denominator because they don’t know any Americans or they assume the Americans they know represent all.

By: Belle

Belle — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 18:15:00 +0000

Let me clarify… it doesn’t offend ME, but some of those I’ve come into contact with are adamant about it.

By: Belle

Belle — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 18:13:00 +0000

The way we do it in my family – mainly because each of my siblings are in a different state – is that Thanksgiving is spent with our own immediate family, and Christmas is spent at Mom and Dad’s with EVERYBODY. The food is basically the same, with Christmas being a somewhat toned-down version of Thanksgiving. And I have to agree… that green bean casserole is nasty. But I do love sweet potato pie!

By: Belle

Belle — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 18:11:00 +0000

Around here, saying “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” is a sure fire way to offend.

By: MegO

MegO — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 17:06:00 +0000

Oh, Wow! Christmas is definitely the most important holiday of the year for most American Christians–or not. I have a lot of non-Christian friends who do Christmas, in fact. But that is the holiday most of all which defines family, is tradition laden, brings travelers home, the whole bit. NO COMPARISON with Thanksgiving. Interesting that someone would think otherwise–but–I am sure there are some strange animals out there, family-less, who do little for Christmas. I am also sure, when that is the case, that they feel very much out of the mainstream. Which is sad. We need that glue of tradition–and connectedness.

By: blueophelia

blueophelia — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 10:17:00 +0000

This one may be regional–where I’m from, the menu and ambiance are largely the same for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and the family fights are only different because many family members ‘trade off’ the holidays (Thanksgiving with hubby’s family, Christmas with wife’s family). With all the hunters in my family growing up, many of the decorations were simply end-of-the-year outdoorsy rather than religious, and did double-duty for both holidays.

By: Caitlyn Johnston

Caitlyn Johnston — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 21:53:00 +0000

That is absolutely not true. The food is different, the ambiance is different, the decorations are different, the “reason for the season” is different… and the family fights are better!

By: Caitlyn Johnston

Caitlyn Johnston — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 21:51:00 +0000

As a Yank, I totally back you up on that – Sweet potato pie is awful.

By: Caitlyn Johnston

Caitlyn Johnston — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 21:49:00 +0000

Wow – I had no idea we were that complicated about it. When you grow up with Thanksgiving, it doesn’t seem so crazy, but hearing it here… ha ha ha .. I guess we are a bit nuts, eh! And for the record, that green bean casserole is disgusting.

By: Allison Kerpash

Allison Kerpash — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 17:58:00 +0000

Many of us Americans travel for Christmas instead of thanksgiving. But very few of us can take a whole week off work. Who would pay our bills? It is a very consumer driven society, and some places are open even on Christmas. Also there is the distinction that there are a great many religions in America that do not celebrate Christmas, and in some places even saying the words “Merry Christmas” instead of Happy Holidays can get you reprimanded. Christmas for every family is different.