It is one of the busiest travel time of the year
in USA
NRIs celebrate
Thanksgiving Day with Tandoori Turkey and Mutton Curry
Los Angeles, Nov. 21, 2007
Gary Singh
What's the first thing that comes to mind
when NRI think of
Thanksgiving? to see family
What's the first thing that comes to mind
when American think
of Thanksgiving? Turkey, shopping and
meet friends or family
Millions of Americans are on the roads or at the airports Wednesday,
traveling to be with family and friends for Thursday's Thanksgiving
holiday.
This year is expected to mark the largest Thanksgiving travel
period ever - despite rising gas prices and fears of air delays.
The American Automobile Association estimates a record 38.7 million
Americans will travel at least 50 miles for Thanksgiving, compared
with the prior record of 38.1 million during last year's holiday
travel period.
President Bush issued a holiday proclamation, saying Thanksgiving
is a time for Americans to gather in a spirit of gratitude with
family, friends and neighbors. He said Thanksgiving is also a
chance to serve others and to share blessings with those in need.
To
close of the harvest season, this is an annual one day holiday
to give thanks all people
- USA: Thanksgiving Day or Thanksgiving, is celebrated
on the fourth Thursday of November in USA
- Canada: Thanksgiving Day or Thanksgiving, is
celebrated on the second Monday in October in Canada
- UK: In UK, it is not thought of as a major event as compared
to Christmas or Easter
USA
Thanksgiving Day or Thanksgiving is major event
in USA, brought to North America by early settlers. Thanksgiving
meals for dinner includes sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, Indian
corn vegetables, pumpkin pie stuffing and turkey. Some times it
is also called "Turkey Day". Families and friends usually
gather for a dinner.
Thanksgiving is almost a long week-end and one
of the busiest travel time of the year. Thanksgiving parades also
occur in many cities of the country- Houston, Philadelphia , Plymouth,
and Detroit . The Macy's Thanksgiving Day
Parade is held annually every Thanksgiving Day in Midtown Manhattan,
New York. It includes large balloons of cartoon characters and
TV personalities.
- The biggest day of shopping of the year in the U.S., as measured
by customer traffic, is still the Friday after Thanksgiving
- It is one of the busiest travel time of the
year
- The American winter holiday season traditionally begins when
Thanksgiving ends
- American football is often a major part of Thanksgiving celebrations
in the U.S. and likewise Canadian football in Canada
- In America, the tradition is referred to as the Thanksgiving
Classic. The Detroit Lions of the American National Football
League have hosted a game every Thanksgiving Day since 1934.
The Dallas Cowboys have hosted every Thanksgiving Day since
1966. Many college and high school football games are played
over Thanksgiving weekend, often between regional or historic
rivals.
- In Massachusetts, more than 70,000 people visit Plimoth Plantation
each November to learn about life among Colonial settlers and
the native Wampanoags - more commonly known as Pilgrims and
Indians.
- In New York, the balloons and floats of Macy's Thanksgiving
Day Parade attract thousands of spectators.
- Chicago has its own Thanksgiving Day parade, with 300,000
people lining State Street to watch
More than 46 million of the birds (turkyes)
were to be eaten
during Thanksgiving day on Thursday.
In 1621, the Wampanoag and the Pilgrims who settled
in Plymouth, Massachusetts, held holiday meal as U.S. tradition.
Turkey play a large role in the celebration of Thanksgiving. In
1890- 1900, it also became more popular for new immigrants after
the end of Civil War. The first official Thanksgiving was held
in the Virginia Colony on December 4, 1619 near the current site
of Berkeley Plantation, where celebrations are still held each
year in November. The Pilgrims set apart a day to celebrate at
Plymouth immediately after their first harvest, in 1621
President Abraham Lincoln, proclaimed a national Thanksgiving
Day, to be celebrated on the final Thursday in November. The U.S.
Congress in 1941 split the difference and established that the
Thanksgiving would occur annually on the fourth Thursday of November,
which was sometimes the last Thursday and sometimes the next to
last. On November 26 that year President Roosevelt signed this
bill into U.S. law. 1863
CANADA: 2nd
Monday in October
Friday–Monday, four day weekend, Canadians eat their Thanksgiving
meal on any day of that weekend. The only major
parade on that day in Canada is the Oktoberfest parade in Kitchener-Waterloo.
They celebrate a meal with one group of relatives on one day,
and another meal with a different group of relatives on another
day.
On January 31st, 1957, the Canadian Parliament proclaimed: "A
Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful
harvest with which Canada has been blessed--->to be observed
on the 2nd Monday in October. The roots of the Canadian holiday
are different than those of the United States of America:
- It goes back to an English explorer, Martin Frobisher, who
had been trying to find a northern passage to the Orient.In
the year 1578, he held a formal ceremony, in what is now the
province of Newfoundland and Labrador, to give thanks for surviving
the long journey.
- Frobisher was later knighted and had an inlet of the Atlantic
Ocean in northern Canada named after him - Frobisher Bay.
- French settlers, having crossed the ocean and arrived in Canada
with explorer Samuel de Champlain, also held huge feasts of
thanks
- War ended in 1763 handing over New France to the British,
the citizens of Halifax held a special day of Thanksgiving.
- American who remained loyal to Great Britain were exiled from
the United States and brought the customs and practices of the
American Thanksgiving to Canada
In 1879, the Canadian Parliament declared November 6th a day
of Thanksgiving and a national holiday in Canada.
Hari Nayak
Food.TV
Thanksgiving is a time when friends and family come together
and enjoy the warmth and comfort of food cooked using traditional
recipes. Traditions are a big part of the Thanksgiving holiday,
and every family has their own way of celebrating. This is perhaps
the only meal of the year when you know what to expect at the
dinner table. But since I celebrate Thanksgiving with my extended
family in the US, I always expect the unexpected! Trust us to
add a desi twist to everything around us! I have been served quite
unusual items like Tandoori Turkey kati roll!!! Mutton Curry and
Take out Indo- Chinese to name a few. Loved it!
Hey, what can I say? Indians will always remain deep rooted to
their cuisine no matter what tradition says. But after all it
is the time to gather with your friends and family and enjoy a
good meal and have a good time. And, we sure know how to celebrate
the spirit of Thanksgiving!
I was introduced to thanksgiving celebration and tradition when
I came to this country 12 years ago. Since then I have always
enjoyed creating my version of traditional Thanksgiving dishes.
