Stories Collected While Living in France

French la Vie

On The Eve of Thanksgiving: How do you celebrate Thanksgiving in Three Words

Leaves

(2007 Thanksgiving Conversation)

 

Thanksgiving, like the fourth of July, and Halloween are not a French thing.

Sacha is sad.

Thanksgiving without a turkey is like Christmas without a Charley Brown Christmas Tree, or Halloween without a pumpkin.

We are vegetarians.

 

Thanksgiving Leaves on a brick wall

 

French Husband and I have been none meat eaters for over 35 years, and Sacha and Chelsea since birth. Therefore this Thanksgiving like the other Thanksgivings we leave the turkey alive and well… and it ain't the same thing without a turkey, even I know that.

 

Fall Thanksgiving

 

I asked Sacha, "How do you want to celebrate Thanksgiving?"

Thursday is not a holiday and Friday is not black.

 

Thanksgiving- Family

 

Sacha responded, "I think I need to live in Willows (my hometown) for a full year… I miss not having what I don't know… Halloween, Thanksgiving, Proms, American High school… (and years later his wish/desire came true.)

 

Pumpkin patch thanksgiving

 

Feeling sorry for him I said, "Maybe we should buy a turkey?"

SACHA chants… "YES! Yes!" Joining his emotion, I give it back yelling, "Are you gonna eat it?" He says, "Yes." We felt like cheerleaders at an American football game!

French Husband runs downstairs, nearly tripping and killing himself, "What!! You are going to buy a turkey? A live turkey?" He is so gullible when we speak English.

Sacha and I, look at each other, not missing the cue, responded with a unanimous, "Dead." 

 

Leaves-on-water

French Husband is French, and a vegetarian he puts his foot down, "No dead turkeys are allowed in our house." As if we were seriously thinking of a live turkey?

I guess we will have tofu, or something.

Thanksgiving nevertheless is for giving Thanks with or without a turkey.. I do believe that too.

Sacha frowns. He needs to express his American DNA… so do I… tofu style? Football? Pumpkin pie? Cranberry sauce? 

 

Thanksgving provence style table setting

I wonder if I cooked a dead turkey and called it tofu if French Husband would notice? He has taken on the trait of eating so fast I often quiz him, "What did you just put in your mouth?" Most the time with his mouth full, he doesn't know.

 

 

Thanksgivingxx

 

How do you describe Thanksgiving?

Comments

45 responses to “On The Eve of Thanksgiving: How do you celebrate Thanksgiving in Three Words”

  1. Merisi in Vienna

    Thanksgiving =
    Family
    Food
    Fun
    Fankfulness

    Reply
  2. Bev S.

    Three words hmm (by the way, although I’m not a vegetarian, I am allergic to turkey, so no turkey for me).
    Gratitude, food, friendship.

    Reply
  3. RebeccaNYC

    Rest
    Quiet
    Grateful
    The best part about the Thanksgiving Feasts of my past was not the Turkey, it was the side dishes….aka STUFFING (or Dressing if cooked outside of the Turkey) So I would have no problem with no Turkey.
    And obviously, if I am including rest and quiet in my Thanksgiving words, I am not hosting a feast this year! ahhhhhh……a day off!!!

    Reply
  4. WAVENEY

    THANK YOU GOD!

    Reply
  5. Linda

    Present to Gratitude

    Reply
  6. Jean

    I’m vegetarian (15 years) but my family is not. The turkey is nice for them and I like the aroma and presentation.
    You can have the smells of the holiday just by making sweet potato or squash casserole, sweetened (with marshmallows maybe) and with dressing made with all the herbs and vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. It works for me. 🙂

    Reply
  7. Linda R.

    a grateful heart

    Reply
  8. Linda

    Family, family, family! Grateful we can all be together for the first time in many years.

    Reply
  9. Cathi

    Family, Food, Gratitude. I only eat meat occasionally but truthfully I could definitely do without the Turkey. Aside from making the Turkey for my husband and his family – everything else I make are vegan dishes for my family (and no one even noticed last year!). Enjoy each other and give thanks – that’s truly what it’s all about! (Don’t forget the pumpkin pie though). Happy Thanksgiving! xxoo

    Reply
  10. suzanna

    very funny story ~ Love, giving & many now have no food to eat, graditude for what we have ~ for me, I’m packing in boxes ~ this year I ordered boxes rather than run myself crazy at the grocery store picking up banana and apple boxes ~ and they delivered them no charge ~ yea ~ XO

    Reply
  11. suzanna

    oh Corey, I just read about “sweet potato biscuits”, they sound so yummie !
    my friend sent me a magazine, it’s about the South in the USA, it was in that, I’m
    packing though so no time for me, that caught my eye ~ XO

    Reply
  12. nancy w.

    Grateful for EVERYTHING.

    Reply
  13. jend’isère

    Bounty
    and
    Love
    which brings
    Gratitude!
    You know it has been a long time since I celebrated a Thanksgiving in the US when…
    my son calls it “The Thankzgeeving” and it seems perfectly normal to find tartiflette on an international Thanksgiving buffet table!

    Reply
  14. Lois

    Three words : In Mid October. 😉 Canada has a long Thanksgiving weekend the 2nd weekend of October, when the trees are in full foliage and the days are still balmy. the food is always about harvest, with roasted root vegetables and apple crisps… This year we had a roast pork and vegetarian lasagna. Some are meat eaters, some are not. Enjoy your Thanksgiving!

    Reply
  15. Susan

    Thankful,
    homesick,
    and
    sentimental

    Reply
  16. Debbie Z.

    Mellow
    Family
    Peacefulness

    Reply
  17. Janet with Eiffel

    Happy……and
    Sad….and yet…..
    Grateful………..

    Reply
  18. Kathie B

    Football
    Pasta
    Pie

    Reply
  19. betsy

    First of all the Happy Thanksgiving Card is so sweet, what a neat way to send a greeting.
    I describe Thanksgiving as –
    Thankful for my family and friends to share it with
    Great food
    lots of deserts
    board games after dinner
    Happy Thanksgiving to all

    Reply
  20. betsy

    I meant to say the = Thanksgiving picture posted with the turkey
    I never get things right the first time – sorry.

    Reply
  21. John Powell

    Indians
    got
    Screwed

    Reply
  22. Tongue in Cheek

    Not in the beginning.
    But as time went on…they did. That is the part of American history that still stings.

    Reply
  23. Franca Bollo

    Too true.

    Reply
  24. Franca Bollo

    Thanksgiving. Day. Parade.

    Reply
  25. Iowa Julie

    First, I love John Powell’s response because it is so true and no one thinks of that! Next, Corey–how did you come to be vegetarian? If you posted the story I did not see it. I have never been much of a carnivore but am not vegetarian–my husband is very much a carnivore so i have never been motivated to eliminate meat from my diet completely.

    Reply
  26. Laurie SF

    free
    form
    pie
    and while it’s baking..
    glass
    beaujolais
    nouveau

    Reply
  27. monika

    Golden
    Mellow
    Abundance
    Canadian Thanksgiving seems so different from the American… it really is about celebrating the harvest, and sharing. There is no Santa on tv, no football games, and no shopping. I think I remember reading somewhere that it was Mr. Macy who persuaded the federal government to move the holiday closer to Christmas. Here though, it is really low key. And in Quebec, where my husband is from, it is even more low key: no one in his family celebrates it except us. We’ve gone there over the holiday only to wind up eating a plate of nachos in bar with his parents, so now I insist that we have a “real” Thanksgiving at home.
    Still, really wish we had a bigger family to celebrate with!
    (Have you tried roasted acorn squash filled with bread stuffing? That sort of approximates turkey and stuffing…)
    Happy Thanksgiving Corey!

    Reply
  28. Diogenes

    Well I think of stuffing. And pecan pie. And how I need to lose weight. Probably in that order.
    But you might get a laugh out of this survey of what Brits think of Thanksgiving:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbMJ1JFMMSM&feature=youtube_gdata
    Hope your is happy, Corey.

    Reply
  29. Linda P.

    With my family.
    I’m vegan. My husband is happily vegan along with me except for Thanksgiving and Christmas, when we join with extended family. Then he joyfully eats all the old favorites. No dead turkeys for me, though.

    Reply
  30. Ann

    Gratitude
    Joy
    Love
    I absolutely love everything about Thanksgiving. Our gourmet meal takes time to prepare and it is so worth it. I couldn’t wait to come home from work and start cooking and watching classic movies and drinking wine and laughing and talking on the phone to far away family. Happy Thanksgiving day!

    Reply
  31. Kate L.

    Family
    Love
    Togetherness

    Reply
  32. Marilyn

    Family
    Friends
    Food
    Enjoy the day however, it is really about the people gathering together in thankfulness.

    Reply
  33. Margie

    Family
    Food
    Memories of Holidays past and those I shared it with who are no longer with us.
    However you celebrate (tofu turkey?!?!) you and your family have a Happy Thanksgiving!

    Reply
  34. Linda

    Thanksgiving in France is having the meal on Sunday. All of those pesky French work on Sunday.

    Reply
  35. Marsha @ Splenderosa

    Tradition, Gratitude & Love for our country.
    I’m becoming a vegan. Each time I think of life lost so we can eat it makes me sad. I know, I know, maudlin thoughts on Thanksgiving Eve. But we are all well & happy, family & friends. But the most important thing isn’t the food, it’s prayers for others who are not as fortunate. Then it’s the wine!

    Reply
  36. 24/7 in France

    The worst Thanksgiving meal I ever ate was at my daughter’s home, where “turferky” was served (tofu turkey)one year. The holiday is really about being thankful for what we have, though – love, health, & happiness. Happy turkey day!

    Reply
  37. Cy Todd

    Food
    Friends/Family
    Faith

    Reply
  38. Michele K. Waite

    Rewriting . . . the . . . past . . . !

    Reply
  39. Linda P.

    Oh, and for those who might imagine that we vegans are stuck with the infamous tofu turkeys, here’s the menu for my vegan meal today: corn and fennel bisque, cranberry and wild rice stuffed acorn squash, caraway maple roasted brussel sprouts, apricot sage bread stuffing, angostura bitters and marmalade glazed sweet potato wedges, cranberry jalapeno jelly, and maple pecan pie. Since I’m also bringing food I made myself for omnivores, I treat myself to a purchased vegan meal every year so that none of our non-vegan extended family members feel that they have to make anything special for me.

    Reply
  40. double d

    Yum

    Reply
  41. Jody

    Surrounded by family.
    Happy Thanksgiving, Corey!

    Reply
  42. stacy

    with or without the turkey I think its wonderful you keep your American traditions and that Sacha is so interested in his. 🙂 no Thanskgiving this year in Italy as we are still settling in, but next year my Italian family should prepare to eat!
    (I am going to try to find the Dallas Cowboys game though!)
    Happy Thanksgiving!

    Reply
  43. judyo

    Family, food, football.

    Reply
  44. Cheryl ~ Casual Cottage Chic

    My brother moved to our area in September after living in No. California for decades. We are soooo thankful to have him near us (he’s 70 and kinda frail). This will be our first Thanksgiving with him since we were kids living at home in Kansas. Have a blessed day wherever you live!

    Reply
  45. Clare

    Corey…I believe in present day parlance you’re called pescatarians because you eat fish. How did you and Yann independently decide not to eat meat?

    Reply

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