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French Thanksgivings

Thanksgiving is the most American of holidays. Looking at it from outside it is kind of a strange holiday: everyone travels for days across the country to eat exactly the same meal. And everyone wants their mother's stuffing. This year, I am in Paris and will not be celebrating. Strangely this is not the first time I will not be celebrating and every time I have not celebrated it, Paris has been involved.

Jim, my ex, has never really cared for the holiday so for about five years, every thanksgiving we went to Paris. The first time we went was right after the attacks on NYC on September 11, 2001. It was very cold. I remember anyone who thought we were Americans talked with us and said how deeply they were sorry that had happened. It was very sweet to have that much outpouring of support from strangers and touching to know that the world was with us in those dark days. Don't get me wrong, thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It doesn't have the family pressure for me that Christmas does nor the gifting mania. Just a meal. (I understand others have more family issues around the holiday than I do.) And as a "foodie" it is a fun time to cook and share with others. Even so, it was fun to "escape" for a couple of years and discover a (then) new place. We would try and find some resto that was special or out of the way. It was kind of fun when they had turkey as a special that day, but to be frank, I don't think we ever had it.

I am resurrecting an old custom I had in the 80s for my Parisian friends, namely Thanksgiving in February. Since so many people have families to contend with in November, and January/February are such dark and dismal months with no holidays to speak of, I find it fun to create a holiday for friends with the same menu but at this later time. I think though that this will be more interesting because I have to introduce all these dishes Americans know by heart to people who have never had them. Imagine someone's reaction to the description of stuffing? Of course the pressure will be on me to put this together. Pies, stuffing and all of it. Wish me luck.

Comments

  1. Ida AbelsonNovember 27, 2014 at 6:37 PM

    Many years ago I made Thanksgiving dinner in Paris. It was not easy finding a turkey. I got the impression from shopkeepers that turkeys are barely considered edible!

    ReplyDelete

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