thanksgiving

Thanksgiving traditions

My family focuses on getting together and spending time together so the holidays are very important for us. Thanksgiving is one of our favorites because it is an opportunity to see everybody. Typically we will alternate years between spending it with my father’s side of the family and my mother’s side. This year, however, is going to be very different because I will be going to Bakersfield to spend the holiday with my boyfriend and his family.

When it comes to traditions and food, my family does not vary or have any passed down recipes. Our turkey is made in the oven, and typically we will also have a ham, for variety and to feed the whole family. Our stuffing is not made with the actual insides of the turkey but instead from hand with bread, celery, sausage, and other seasonings. Our other dishes are made fairly standard, vegetables, dinner rolls, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, and gravy.

We always say a prayer before our dinner. When we celebrate thanksgiving with m mother’s side of the family, we have to have a “buffet style” instead of a sit down dinner because there are so many of us – at least 30 people. After we say a prayer and before we eat dinner, my grandmother recites a poem that was passed down from her mother. This is our thanksgiving tradition. Just recently, us grandchildren have been trying to memorize this poem so it may be said at our future thanksgiving meals. Like I mentioned before, my family is huge on spending time together and being able to take this poem and share it with our future families will help to keep the tradition alive.  This is the poem:

Pies of pumpkin, apple, mince,
jams and jellies, peaches, quince
Purple grapes and apples red,
Cakes and nuts and gingerbread
That's Thanksgiving

Turkey! oh, a great big fellow!
Fruits all ripe and rich and mellow;
Everything that's nice to eat,
More then i can now repeat
That's Thanksgiving

Lots and lots of jolly fun,
Games to play and races run;
All as happy as can be
For 'tis happiness, you see
Makes Thanksgiving.

We must thank the one who gave
All the good things that we have,
That is why we keep the day
set aside, our mammas say,
For Thanksgiving

The poem reflects our kind of Thanksgiving. It talks about food, about having fun, and giving thanks to God. After eating dinner and recovering, all of the kids head to the church, which is across the street, and play on the playground, play wall ball, or capture the flag. When we are done running off the food we head back to the house for dessert J it always results in a really fun time with all of us kids and cousins.

Another tradition that we have is to all meet up again the day after Thanksgiving to have leftovers. It is one of our favorite times because 1) we get to all hang out again and 2) we get to eat delicious food again!

It will be very interesting to be with another family for Thanksgiving this year. My boyfriend, Ian, and his family deep pit a turkey. All the men go to a neighbor’s house and deep pit the turkey while the women stay and cook the food. Since Ian’s family is also very large, they eat a more “buffet style” and he says that the stuffing has more ingredients than what my family usually has. I am very excited for Thanksgiving, not only because it is a fantastic holiday, but because it will be in a new atmosphere and with new people.

I hope that everybody has a happy and safe Thanksgiving!