A Thanksgiving Without Pilgrims

Summary

An expatriate reflects on the significance of Thanksgiving while living in Australia, where the holiday is not celebrated, and details their experiences and thoughts through a limerick.

Abstract

The author shares a personal narrative about celebrating Thanksgiving away from the United States, emphasizing the holiday's importance in marking the beginning of the festive season. They humorously recount a Thanksgiving spent in California and contrast it with the absence of the holiday in Australia, where Christmas follows a horse race without the traditional buildup. The author expresses gratitude for the surprise prompt by Penelope Mayfield, which inspired their limerick response, and acknowledges the cultural differences in perceiving pumpkin as either savory or sweet. They also clarify that they do not actually cook turkey on a barbecue, contrary to popular assumption.

Opinions

Thanksgiving is appreciated more when living abroad, as it provides a transition into the holiday season that is missing in Australia.
The author finds humor in the misconceptions about Thanksgiving and the geographical misunderstandings of others.
Christmas in Australia is seen as peculiar due to its occurrence in the summer, making traditional winter celebrations feel out of place.
Pumpkin pie is a divisive dish among Australians, with the author having introduced it to many who have mixed reactions to its sweetness.
The author values the sense of community and tradition that Thanksgiving brings, even when celebrated on a different day due to work schedules.

A prompt response in (surprise!) limerick

One of my last Thanksgivings stateside Stuffing myself til bleary-eyed With family in Cal And some guy named Al It ended on the couch on my backside

Oh Thanksgiving, I didn’t realise what you represent Or that you’d become my favourite event Now living down under Where no turkey they plunder You bring home a cinnamon and nutmeggy scent

Without you, Christmas just suddenly appears I didn’t figure out why the first couple of years And pie, as in pumpkin They thought me a bumpkin Some things are still off in the Southern hemisphere

There’s no such thing as a stupid question Let me change your mind about this suggestion For Americans, when back home, did ask me Albeit very politely Some questions that left some indigestion

Don’t they celebrate in your outback frontier? How long was the drive from Australia to here? I had to chuckle Thinking ‘what the fuckle’ While swallowing my cranberries and jeer

Now in November, when I’m not being wordy We gather and eat lots of big birdie Raising our pints and snouts Someone invariably shouts ‘Put another turkey on the barbie!’

Thank you to Penelope Mayfield’s surprise prompt, tucked away in her weekly menu.

I didn’t give Thanksgiving enough credit when I lived in the States. It took me a few years of living away and having Christmas just… show up. Christmas feels different here.

One, because it falls in summer, which is not right (you wear a Santa suit and sing Jingle Bells when it’s 40C (104F) outside and the oven’s been going for 5 hours).

And two, because there’s no Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving kicks off the holiday season, it gets you in the mood. Here, we have a horse race and then bang, it’s Christmas.

So, Penelope, that’s why Thanksgiving is now my favourite holiday… which my family holds on a Saturday because we don’t get Thursday off.

Two additional footnotes:

Australians only consider pumpkin as savoury. I’ve turned many on to the sweet deliciousness of pumpkin pie. Though there’s little middle ground here, either people love it or hate it.

No, I don’t cook the turkey on the barbie.

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SURPRISE PROMPT

A Thanksgiving Without Pilgrims

A prompt response in (surprise!) limerick

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