Happy Thanksgiving to all my mates and family up over. I am thankful for many things, but first and foremost is the love and support I get from every one of you! You keep me afloat.
In case you aren't sure: No, there is no Thanksgiving in Australia, primarily, I think because the turkeys here are scrawny little scavengers and I reckon it never ocurred to anyone to import the big fat domestic types that will be adorning so many American tables today. Seriously, turkey is a scarce commodity.
But I am being silly.
The real reason they don't celebrate Thanksgiving is that women would have to get up at 2 in the morning in order to have dinner together in time for the Dallas game, which would be at 8:15 am here. Hmmm. I wonder if it will even be on here. Is the pub is open yet? I just may have to take one of my 20 vacation days...or maybe one of my 10 sick days (another reason to give thanks).
From another yank blog:
"Why doesn't Australia celebrate Thanksgiving? Well the short snarky version I generally give folks "back home" is that ummmm, there weren't any pilgrims nor were there any starving Indians to trade with when James Cooke sailed around mapping the coast. Aboriginals, yes. Indians, no. Hence, no Turkey Day."
Has history been re-written AGAIN since I was in elementary school?? Sometimes, I feel the need to apologize on behalf of America. I promise never to use the word 'snarky' ever again - if I ever did.
Of course, the holiday season exacerbates any feelings of homesickness I am currently experiencing, and indeed I find myself longing to be lounging around a cozy-warm living room, patting a full belly, and watching football. (3 games this year! How sweet is that!!) However, I know I am being sappy and sentimental, since I don't especially like the Thanksgiving menu, and even if I were home, I would probably have runn off to Mexico for a shrimp, lobster, and Corona feast. Great, now I'm homesick for Mexico...mmmmm, cheap Corona! ($21 a six pack last night - I had to pass.)
So, no big food-centric holiday to celebrate the harvest - nevermind that it is spring, and the major harvest is mangoes - now that would be amenu I could get behind. However, there is a big drinking holiday this weekend (Who am I kidding, ALL holidays in Australia are drinking holidays!) Of course, I am talking about the federal election. Almost as important as which party will be elected is which election party you will be attending. (For a more technical treatment of the election issues and dynamics, visit my neuroscientist buddy in Brisbane.)
My Aussie friends are aghast when I tell them that in Mexico, all sales of alcohol are banned for several days surrounding federal elections.
"Why??"
"To make sure everyone sobers up enough to go to the polls, and also to help prevent emotions from overflowing when the fixed results come in."
"Savage!"
About Me
- Author! Author!
- Chico, CA, United States
- Warning: I am prone to exaggeration and out right fabrication in the construction of an interesting narrative. Also, I have poor taste in clothes...
3 comments:
I am failing to comprehend the mindset that considers Thanksgiving a global festival.
Certainly, you cannot have any objections to the overall notion of gratitude, and I don't think anyone can argue (rationally) against the proliferation of such a devotion across the planet. Thus I must assume that you are referring to the peculiarly American incarnation infecting world culture.
Fundamentally, American Thanksgiving is simply an autumn harvest festival, a practice which is integral to numerous cultures around the globe. Though I do not proclaim to be a psycho-social anthropologist, I suspect that thanking the forces of god/nature/community that permitted the harvest to be realized is a common theme of these celebrations. In this regard, America is merely colluding with a primitive global consciousness.
However, I shudder to think that my homeland is exporting a cookie-cutter holiday package, complete with construction paper pilgrim hats and artistic refrigerator renditions of cartoon turkeys that bear suspicious resemblance to a child's hand.
If that is the case to which you are referring, please allow me to offer my apologies, once more on Uncle Sam's behalf.
Thus I must assume that you are referring to the peculiarly American incarnation infecting world culture.
well, yes: But as far as I was aware, (American) Thanksgiving has always been about the Pilgrim Fathers saying "Thank you for feeding us (and by the way, next year we're going to shoot you)". It's all tied up in the colonization of North America by Europeans.
Europe tends to have 'Harvest Festivals' - and I'll include OktoberFest in that. It's a 'thanksgiving', yes; but not 'Thanksgiving'.
Either way, for Australians (or South Africans or Argentines or Nullzillanders) to celebrate something like it, in October or November, makes no sense (about as much as 'Christmas in July', the thought of which sends me into paroxysms of rage).
Thing is, you said as much in your snarky way (heh) — I'm just making an equally snarky comment about the self-importance of, well, most people, actually.
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