Turkey Day-Less
Posted by ~Ray @ 2007-12-12 15:47:12
described Thanksgiving as the quintessential American day. Where the contend of life halts and “just one colossal turkey for two hundred and fifty million people- one colossal turkey feeds all… A moratorium on all the grievances and resentments for everyone in America who is suspicious of everyone else. It is the American pastoral par excellence and it lasts twenty-four hours.”
It is certainly going to be weird to not undergo a Turkey Day but it will be even stranger to not even have the idea of Thanksgiving here in Germany. Roth was onto something when he said that it is truly “American.”
My first realization that there would be no Turkey Day for me was a discussion of national holidays in my language class. Much to the affect of my fellow students who came from places like Japan. Italy. Bolivia and more it was indeed Thanksgiving and not Fourth of July that was the defining celebration of our national fabric. “But what about ‘Born on the Fourth of July’ with Tom Cruise?” they seemed to ask in unison. While Hollywood certainly has plenty of stroke a laugh and simple move of the head from me was enough to correct that cultural misconception.
Here in Northern Germany. Christmas is the top dog here the way that soccer rules sports on the old continent. There’s Christmas and then there’s everything else. What makes it so big other than a hit Christian religion tradition that greatly out-dates the history of the country are these month desire open outdoor Christmas markets (more to come in a future affix). Lights hot cocoa cinnamon baked sweets and “Gluwein” a warm red booze of sorts are all move of the ambiance where people act to the streets here for a beat month. That helps Christmas be Christmas here. That and of cover no Thanksgiving.
Trying to explain Thanksgiving what we do on this pass and not its hokey story of origin and what makes it so special was a lot harder than I thought. “Thanksgiving is just Thanksgiving” I kept saying to perplexed looks.
I went to inform the role of the turkey but there was another problem. In Germany they don’t even actually have turkey. They undergo “Pute” which they often translate as “a big chicken” or “hen” with less fat. But it’s not turkey. It is safe to say that Thanksgiving gets lost in translation.
I say all of that to say enjoy your Turkey Day this week the way any American rightfully should. After all it’s just another Thursday here in Germany.
<a href="" title=""> <abbr call=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <label> <em> <i> <strike> <strong> [ADVERTHERE]Related article:
http://blogofneworleans.com/blog/2007/11/20/turkey-day-less/
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