I want to compare my native Canadian cuisine with UAE to understand the differences. As an event, I chose Thanksgiving in Canada and Uraza Bayram in Eastern culture. The main tradition of Thanksgiving is to spend this day in the circle of family and close friends, to be with those to whom people are grateful for every minute of communication (Hepner, 2018). Uraza Bayram is the day when the holy month of Ramadan ends, with it, the strict fasting. On the day of Uraza Bayram, when the sun rises, all restrictions are lifted, and believers can eat any food allowed by Islam.
Interesting Facts about Cultural Background
Canada, like any other country, is culturally specific. Respect and equal treatment for everyone in the country are the norms for Canadians. It is not common in the country to judge other people by their clothes, car, or job. Canadians are incredibly polite, and apologizing is in their blood. In the country, it is customary to help each other and always be on the positive side. Canadians generally are not superstitious, but many still pay attention to the signs. Thirteen is considered an unlucky number, so most houses do not have a 13th floor, just as there is no 13th parking space. Many Canadians are serious believers in astrology, the pseudo-science of predicting the future by the position of celestial bodies. Most Canadian newspapers print a daily horoscope compiled by a certified astrologer.
There are many interesting cultural differences in the UAE. For example, an Orthodox Muslim must pray five times a day (Kulwicki, 2021). Traditionally, the handshake among Arabs is a symbol of special affection. Never refuse a treat when a guest comes to the house of an Arab; it can be perceived as an insult. A striking manifestation of national culture is traditional sports. A special place here belongs to falconry, which is still popular in Dubai. Family relationships in Arab countries are strictly regulated by Islamic law. During a conversation with a resident, one should not ask about his wife, as it can be perceived as an insult.
Two menus
On Thanksgiving, dishes such as roast turkey in cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, and mashed potatoes are sure to be on the table. According to tradition, one of the main dishes of the first Thanksgiving was the roast turkey (Felter, 2020). The bird, found in the forests of North America, was beloved by the colonists because of its unpretentious eating habits, fast growth, and large size (Zhongming et al., 2021). Because the holiday is in the fall, pumpkin pie becomes the most relevant. Mashed potatoes are a classic side dish that accentuates the flavor of the turkey.
On the holiday of Uzara Bayram, the dishes will be the meat of ram, pilaf, and dried fruits. The tradition of preparing mutton is related to the prophet Ibrahim, to whom Allah commanded to sacrifice his son Ishmael (Nasution, 2022). However, at the last moment, he chose a ram. Pilaf is usually cooked over a fire to enjoy its flavor. Since turkey is white meat, it would be perfectly paired with white wine. For lamb meat with a bright aroma but a delicate flavor, people should choose bright, berry, and juicy wines with delicate tannins: aged Malbec, Shiraz, or mature Bordeaux.
Conclusion
After making this comparison, I learned why it is common to eat turkey on Thanksgiving in Canada. An interesting fact for me was that consuming ram body parts in the UAE is related to the day of the week. I can identify two similarities and differences between the selected countries cultures. The first similarity may be that it is customary to eat meat on holidays, and the second may be that it is polite. The difference may be the attitude toward guests and the attitude toward women.
References
Felter, C. (2020). Home for Thanksgiving: How Holidays May Present a Public Health Threat.
Hepner, S. (2018). Thanksgiving Traditions-Shelby.
Kulwicki, A. D. (2021). People of Arab heritage. In Textbook for transcultural health care: A population approach (pp. 251-276). Springer, Cham. Web.
Nasution, M. S. A. (2022). The Sharia Concerning Hajj Based on Syaru Man Qablana Approach (An Analysis of History and Maqasid Sharia). Al-Mashlahah Jurnal Hukum Islam dan Pranata Sosial, 10(01), 31-52.
Zhongming, Z., Linong, L., Xiaona, Y., Wangqiang, Z., & Wei, L. (2021). Celebrate Thanksgiving with Turkey& and Leftovers.
Ellen Goodman captures the essence of family values in her piece “No Room for Scrooges this Thanksgiving.” As a journalist and a columnist, the author employs a style that appears to be a paradox to bring out the characteristics of the American nation. She uses various comparisons and real life situations to bring out the meaning of thanksgiving. One may argue that the need to create a more cohesive American nation inspired the title of Goodman’s piece (Goodman 10).
The seeming individualism in the American society is the bond of unity that keeps it strong. Goodman observes that American values not only emphasize individual freedoms and rights (Tipton and Witte Jr. 47) but also unite people. She seems to assert that the same values do not contemplate a situation where one should work in isolation but with others as one American family.
To begin with, the author observes that thanksgiving has a way of bringing various families together. She notes that although some American families could be living separately, thanksgiving usually bridges them together. Such is a gap occasioned by circumstances like occupation and passions. She points out that although everyone may go out of the family unit to satisfy their passions, Thanksgiving Day “arrests” the concept of “I” and replaces it with its plural form. Goodman offers that such is the time when a common meal brings together various individuals to catch up with one another. This, she notes, is usually out of their volition (Goodman 10).
The author also observes that as individuals, American family will come together and each will contribute to the benefit of each. For instance, Goodman (10) points out that they play complementary roles such as having fun together, cooking for others, and revisiting memories of the past. One could argue that the author implies that the fact that American families may seem to be far apart, they are actually united by strong bonds. Probably it is the desire to pursue various dreams that render them apart. They seem to go apart in the recognition that they are different and that everyone is responsible for shaping his/her own destiny.
In what appears to be a paradox of the whole piece, the author sheds more light on the dilemma of the individualism and American family values. She clarifies that the “I” and the “we” in various ironical situations come down to a basic argument that the two are complementary. For example, she appears to assert that people should balance how they carry themselves as individuals and as a group (Tipton and Witte Jr. 112).
This, it appears, is something that they should do with caution so that individualism does not render the need to align with others as one difficult. A balance between the heavy load of “we” and the apparent self-centeredness of the “I” is indeed the foundation of America’s unity. Through such a prism, one may observe that everyone is always welcome into a family. The individualism is itself the criteria for belonging.
In conclusion, one may observe that the seeming individualism in the American family is the bond that keeps it strong. This is because the society recognizes the complex nature of various individuals and accepts them the way they are. In return, accepted and appreciated individuals also do so to others in a chain of give and take (Goodman, 10). The product is a society where families foster strong bonds and offer refuge for its members. Thanksgiving offers the opportunity to cultivate and nurture a complementary “I” and “we.”
Works Cited
Goodman, Ellen. Paper Trail: Common Sense in Uncommon Times. New York: Simon and Schuste, 2007. Print.
Goodman, Ellen. “No Room for Scrooges this Thanksgiving”. The Free Lance Star. 1985. Web.
Tipton, Steven M., and John Witte Jr. Family Transformed: Religion, Values, and Society in American Life. Washington D.C.: Georgetown University Press, 2005. Print.
It has always been said that the more you travel and go places the more things you get to learn and experience. This statement incidentally suits me in very many ways such that I can attest to it. During the course of my study in America, I got to meet and mingle with different people who from each I was able to at least gain something.
Among the experiences, there is this memorable event I will live to remember as long as I am alive. There was this friend of mine whom we happened to share the same college as well as the course I was pursuing. Because of this we became inseparable friends and extended the friendship to our parents as well.
At one time during summer, my friend’s parents invited my parents and me to a thanksgiving dinner that was being held at their home. Since the Thanksgiving Day in America is among their major holidays, this family had made so many preparations to just make the event colourful and successful.
I was amazed by the different varieties of recipes available, most of which were new to me. The meal was served in three main courses. I can admit that this was my first time to attend a buffet and was almost confused when it came to the food selection given the wide categories. Apart from food, there were also a wide variety of drinks ranging from the non-alcoholic to the alcoholic.
Since I was in the company of my parents, I pretended to only take little of the alcoholic drinks though deep down in my heart I eyed the different brands I had not tested before.
This was a dinner of its kind since after the people had feasted to their fullest they were led to the dancing hall where we found salsa dancers performing. Everyone joined them and the whole hall was filled with a little bit slow music for the better part of the dinner.
This can be said to be one of my best experiences so far in my life. This is because I got to learn so many things and especially about the American culture. I was advantaged to have a taste of various American delicacies, more so those prepared on thanks giving dinners. For example, wild mushroom pates, caramelized shallot dips, creamy blue cheese just to mention but a few.
These are delicacies prepared during such occasions and since I had not been privileged to attend any of such I therefore had not encountered them. Not only did I get to taste new food varieties but I also got to meet new friends among the attendants of the dinner.
For instance, one of the friends I got to chat with on that day happened to be a technology student in our college and helps me greatly with any problems in my electronic devices. It is usually from such meetings that people get to meet true friends and even lifetime partners.
Last but not least, I had the chance to experience how functions are organised such that I do not have any problem in future in case I want to organise one for a friend or myself.
In all these, I acknowledge my friend who not only gave me such an opportunity but also to my parents who were not any different from me. This was also their first time to attend such a dinner and with that, they thanked me abundantly for our good relationship with my friend.
Part of the American tradition is celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday. This annual celebration started way back some four hundred years ago during the American colonies. All these years, I thought that this was just like any other gathering. A day set just for the sake of thanking a bountiful harvest of crops and some other farm products. But things have changed when I heard the real story behind the feast.
On the eve of Thanksgiving Day of last year, a friend of mine was sharing fond memories she had with her family. She told me that the best part of the celebration aside from the best recipes set on the table was the story-telling part. Their grandparents would gather all the family members around and share bits of information as well as personal experiences about Thanksgiving Day.
Her grandfather who was a war veteran shared about the favor of Divine Providence. According to him that in the 1620s, there were about a hundred people who started to question the existing beliefs in the Church of England. Because they wanted to distance themselves from what they consider misguided beliefs, the group sailed the vast waters of the Atlantic Ocean and settled in a place called the “New World” which is now known as the state of Massachusetts. There they started a life away from what they don’t believe in.
Life was also tough for this religious group as they experienced the first winter in the New World. The colony was attacked by certain diseases due to the lack of fresh food since it was already too late to grow crops when they arrived in the place. Half of the group died.
However, the following springtime was another part of history. The Iroquois Indians taught them how to grow several crops including corn (maize) in the unfamiliar soil. Maize was considered then as the colonist’s new food. They also taught them how to hunt as well as fish. And with perseverance and deep faith, a bountiful harvest in autumn was made. The colonists, with the aid of their Indian friends, were able to have a bountiful harvest for a number of crops. As a way of thanking for such blessings, they thought of coming up with a day of celebration.
The first time I heard the story, I was in a state of great awe for such brave people. I totally admired their dependence on the Divine providence which made them victorious in the end. Although I was not able to witness such early feasts my mind seeped through the hardships of my own family and how my parents brought us out from such misfortune. This is something that we really have to be thankful for. This celebration is not just for the sake of any tradition but rather as a way to honor such people who faced the greatest obstacles with great faith.
I remember when my dad prepared a sumptuous meal with the big roasted turkey at the center of the table. I asked what was there to celebrate, and he simply said, “Something to be grateful about.” You see, my parents were both working for a factory when the recession brought them out of there. We were totally dependent on the little garden we had in our backyard. And for almost a year of being jobless, my parents never gave up but rather they kept on praying for strength to move on with life. That was something that I never thought of all these years. The thanksgiving celebration has brought us together believing that we live because of the generosity of a Divine provider.
Every time I came across any conversation about Thanksgiving celebrations, I thought of it as a reminder that like the first religious group who journeyed to an unknown place, I too will never be spared by the uncertainties of life. We must be thankful for the everyday blessings that we receive and not just during Thanksgiving Day.
The descendants of those who journeyed to the New World and millions of people in the United States and Canada celebrate Thanksgiving every year. This is the time for sharing as well as living up to the traditions of our forefathers. The foods we prepare during this big celebration are just symbols of what once strengthened the relationship of two different tribes. That is the reason why even if some of my relatives live far from us, they still make it a point that we can gather for a reunion at an older relative’s house and have a thanksgiving celebration. Others, such as charitable organizations offer the traditional meal to hungry people living in the streets to make them feel that they too are part of the celebration.
There is so much to celebrate about life. We may be facing difficulties and trials in life but that must not stop us to move on. Always remember that the people who were once faced with many obstacles along the journey to the New World made it because of their deep faith in God. Blessings are just around. All we need is to discover them.
The purpose of current essay is to provide the analysis of Thanksgiving Day’s historical cultural patterns of celebration in the past and now. The Thanksgiving Day rites, customs and options of celebration will be discussed in relation to ethnographic features of a given territory and its people. New York Macy’s parade held during Thanksgiving Day was chosen as the primary object of analysis.
Besides this current research provides the description of the role Thanksgiving plays in shaping cultural and religious identity of people and reflecting deeper social layers of life. Current paper is subdivided into several parts. The analysis of Thanksgiving Day in historical perspective is provided in the first place with detecting changes that occurred in the way it is celebrated. Secondly, the contemporary Thanksgiving Day cultural patterns are analyzed with a special emphasis on values, food, family relations and places of celebration. Thirdly, a comprehensive analysis of Thanksgiving Day in the formation of people’s social, religious and cultural identity is provided with a particular emphasis on the role of religion, social experience, the relations within family and the formation of the intrinsic worldview and values. The analysis of ethnographic cultural patterns as they are presented in New York cultural patterns of Thanksgiving Day celebration are embedded in the discussion of identity formation. To top it all these descriptions are made drawing on a relevant material of modern Thanksgiving Day celebrations. If all these stages of research are completed we hope that a comprehensive account of Thanksgiving Day in terms of its role in shaping people social and cultural identities would be provided.
History of Thanksgiving Day in the United States
Figure 1. History of Thanksgiving Day in the United States.
The history of Thanksgiving presents an interest to popular writers, historians, sociologists and anthropologists. The story of Thanksgiving Day celebrating began with Pilgrims, the newcomers to America who organized the fest for Wampanoag people and themselves on October 1621 (Meyers, p. 114). After the United States gained their independence three presidents prior to Abraham Lincoln such as Washington, Adams and Madison issued proclamations of Thanksgiving as a national holiday. For a long period of time Thanksgiving was popular only in the states of New England and to a much lesser degree in mid-Atlantic states. Besides this it should be mentioned that Thanksgiving was traditionally popular in Texas. The first settlers in new colonies which celebrated Thanksgiving regarded it as a ‘thanksgiving to God’ for their successful arrival to new lands.
Historical documents prove inherently religious nature of early Thanksgiving celebration: ‘We ordaine that the day of our ships arrival at the place assigned for plantacon in the land of Virginia shall be yearly and perpetually keept holy as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God’ (Santino, p. 167).
The celebration of Thanksgiving in the colonies of England during 17-th was expressed in the form of thanksgiving to God for the harvest collected. During 18-th century many British colonies observed separately the celebration of Thanksgiving Day. Unlike Thanksgiving Day that can now be met in different regions of the United States it was not marked by enormous amount of food and drinking but was spared for prayers and the fasting.
The reasons for celebrating Thanksgiving were not settled until the end of the 18-th century and such occasions as good crop, military victory (as in case with Saratoga in 1777) were chosen as the pretext for celebration. Until the First National Announcement of the Thanksgiving by Continental Congress in 1977 it was celebrated quite sporadically without any single cultural pattern.
Abraham Lincoln finally transformed Thanksgiving from the canonic religious patterns to civic religion celebration of American nationhood, values and ideals. As Bellah claims, ‘Thanksgiving postulates America being chosen by the divine providence to fulfill the mission of justice and freedom’ (Bellah, 175).
Hence, it is American nationalism that deeply shaped the celebration of the Thanksgiving after Lincoln.
Figure 2. A political matter of the celebration of modern Thanksgiving
The role of Thanksgiving in developing patriotism and feeling of common destiny partly explains the fact that modern school teachers and educators using this holiday for the incorporation of immigrant children to the American culture (though not many mothers could allow themselves to roast the turkey which cost quite much).
The celebration of modern Thanksgiving is also a political matter (see Image 2). Presidents beginning from Harry Truman pardon live turkey every year and it lives the rest of life in the peaceful farm (Appelbaum, p. 156).
Changing patterns of Thanksgiving Day celebration
With the industrial revolution and the development of secular modern society Thanksgiving Day significantly lost its religious connotations (Appelbaum, 56). The celebration of this holiday transformed into ‘domestic occasion’ using Pleck’s term (Pleck, p. 775). It was connected with a growing value of time and individualization of social relations.
The domestic occasions became scheduled events when the relatives living far away could come back to their homes and breadwinners of the family could spent more time with their children and wives. In his analysis of domestic patterns of celebration Schmidt comes to the conclusion that the luxury gifts presented during Thanksgiving Day is the central element of its becoming a domestic holiday (Schmidt, p. 54).
The modern time met Thanksgiving with a ban of so-called fantasticals, a tradition of begging on a Thanksgiving Day. It was announced as being immoral and was claimed to develop beggar consciousness among poor children. It also goes in line with a trend of this holiday domestication. These changes and the description of Thanksgiving customs as we know them now will be presented in the next section of this essay.
Thanksgiving Day in modern conditions
One of the central elements of modern Thanksgiving Day is dinner, a tradition which is presented in a homogeneous way through all states and regions in the United States (Linton, p. 87). The Thanksgiving dinner features turkey which plays a crucial role in celebration. In fact, using turkey in Thanksgiving dinner is an ‘invented custom’ using Hobsbawm famous concept.
Due to the preparation of roast turkey Thanksgiving Day is often called as Turkey Day. Among other dishes traditionally associated with Thanksgiving dinner notwithstanding the location of celebration are mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, vegetables, maize and often pumpkin pie. Many communities such as New York City have its annual food drives which purpose is to collect non-perishable food and canned food and deliver it to the poor (Schmidt, p. 157).
As the majority of families and friends gather together on Thanksgiving Day this holiday is the busiest travel period in the United States. Students in schools and colleges have four-day weekends in school. Most of government and business workers are also given paid weekends (News release, 2007).
Thanksgiving is also widely celebrated in bars, restaurants and clubs, hence it is quite busy day for them. There is no denying the importance of the fact that modern Thanksgiving Day gave rise to different festivals and parades which are organized in different American cities (later more attention will be paid to Macy’s parade in New Your City).
During Macy parade a large procession goes from West side of Manhattan to Macy store which is on Herald square. This parade includes various floats with the specific themes, scenes from various Broadway performances, different cartoon characters and celebrities etc. Macy’s parade signifies the beginning of Christmas days.
Thanksgiving Day parades are also held in other cities such Boscov’s parade in Philadelphia, America’s Hometown Parade in Plymouth, parades in Houston, McDonald’s Thanksgiving Parades in Chicago etc.
Modern patterns of Thanksgiving Day celebration are also characterized with Thanksgiving Day football competitions and games. The Intercollegiate Football Organization first held the first football championship devoted to Thanksgiving Day in 1876. Today more than 40.000 college and high school teams and different athletic clubs are playing this game on Thanksgiving Day (Schmidt, 1997).
Thanksgiving Day and identity formation: celebrations and New York Macy’s parade.
The Macy’s parade first organized in New York in 1924 is a symbol of Thanksgiving’s commercialization which is an important factor of this holiday impact on people’s identity formation. As Nissenbaum claims ‘Thanksgiving was a minor gift-giving occasion in the early nineteenth century’ (Nissenbaum, 214). People usually bought each other such presents as Bible. Only in the beginning of the 20-th century situation significantly changed with more shops offering Thanksgiving presents and gifts. The secularization of the holiday led to mass culture elements appearing in its celebration.
This is particularly true of Macy’s Thanksgiving parade in New York which is not associated with the origins of Thanksgiving but rather with Hollywood and mass culture images which appear in it. Thanksgiving becomes less of a religious holiday than a holiday when extensive consumption of various goods is welcomed. Commercial goods which were originally designed for Christmas and Valentine’s day are now sold for the Thanksgiving Day. They include various paper goods (depicting Pilgrims or Turkey), greeting cards, flowers, candies etc. Besides this allocating Thanksgiving ads on TV, radio and newspaper is very widespread today considerably affecting the formation of people’s identity. The Thanksgiving slogans penetrated in the advertisement of cigarettes. For instance, Camel commercial stated: “Camel are the cigarettes one should be thankful for” (Kammen, 210)
Figure 3. Christmas shopping season.
Considering this background information Macy’s parade can be described as a benchmark in developing of Thanksgiving Day cultural patterns in New York as departments stores initiated this event as a beginning of Christmas shopping season (see Image 3).
The connection between Thanksgiving and Christmas during Macy’s parade is evident as Santa Claus appears in its end symbolizing the shower of gifts that children will soon receive. When Macy’s parade first appeared it began competing with other entertainments in New York such as football games. Representing the change of holiday nature from religious to secular it also caused a wave of critiques from national and religious organizations which claimed that Macy’s parade spoils cultural traditions of American people.
Thanksgiving day and family formation
Community celebrations of Thanksgiving Day which were characteristic of this holiday from the time when it was first celebrated were replaced in the beginning of the 20-th century with private celebration in family circle. These changes account to significant secularization of Thanksgiving, its transformation into the family domestic occasion of middle class. As Pleck (1999) suggests, ‘The domestic occasion was a culturally dominant form, practiced at first mainly by the upper classes and middle classes, which spread throughout the society in the twentieth century’.
As Schmidt (1997) argues the celebration of Thanksgiving in family was a crucial catalyst of developing middle-class consumerist ideology and perception of the holiday. From then on it was associated with a crucial role of woman-homemaker organizing tasty dinner for the family members. Hence, modern Thanksgiving plays an important role in strengthening ties among family members and developing middle-class ideology in the family as Thanksgiving lost its religious connotations.
Forming religious experience
Notwithstanding the fact that Thanksgiving Day is losing its religious grounds, many religious families and organization still use it as a means of developing religious worldview in people. As far as 1789 American President Washington described Thanksgiving as a holiday that fosters ‘civil and religious liberty’, ‘useful knowledge’ and is an evidence of God’s ‘kind care’ and ‘his providence’ (Pleck, 779). This understanding of Thanksgiving Day is still wide-spread in American religious communities and organizations. They offer certain services and various events on Thanksgiving themes during holidays. In many homes there exists a long-standing tradition of saying grace before Thanksgiving dinner (Appelbaum, 136). Grace is a prayer which is said before and after dinner in order to express belief and appreciation of God, to ask blessing or sometimes to express the wish of dedication.
The grace process may be led by the host or hostess or sometimes each person may contribute his own words of thanks and blessing. Hence, it should be noted that Thanksgiving Day still continues to play a crucial role in shaping religious identity.
Shaping social experience
Thanksgiving Day also plays an important role in shaping social and national experience of Americans. Such scholars as Hobsbawm describe this holiday as ‘invented tradition’ that is a cultural pattern expressing the desire of modern people ‘to structure at least some parts of social life within it [their modern world] as unchanging and invariant.”(Hobsbawm, p. 10)
Social experience is shaped also as Thanksgiving Day becomes increasingly associated with starting shopping holidays when large amounts of consumer goods are sold and bought. There is no denying the importance of the fact that this plays an important role in social experience as children from poor families observe that they can’t buy such things as others buy. Besides this Thanksgiving Day forms national consciousness as teachers tell students about the history of the holiday, democratic ideals in which it is embedded. Education provides children with cultural set of values, principles and images such as flag, Pilgrim, Santa etc.
Conclusion
To sum it up, as current research has shown Thanksgiving Day is an important holiday that considerably transformed during its history. Initially it was sporadic religious holiday which then transformed into the symbol of patriotism and national building and finally now is increasingly becoming the product of commercial society and mass culture. It played and continues to play a crucial role in the formation of cultural, religious, family and social experiences and identity which was analyzed at length in current research.
References
1619 Thanksgiving at Berkeley Hundred in Virginia. Web.
Appelbaum, Diana Karter. Thanksgiving: An American Holiday, An American History. New York: McGraw Hill, 1984
Bush pardons turkey, 2007, Web.
Bellah, Robert. “Civil Religion in America,” in Robert Bellah, ed., Beyond Belief: Essays on Religion in a Post-Traditional World. New York, 1970.
Hobsbawm, Eric. “Introduction: Inventing Traditions,” in Eric Hobsbawm and Terence Ranger, eds., The Invention of Tradition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1983.
Kammen, Michael. Mystic Chords of Memory: The Transformation of Tradition in American Culture. New York, 1991.
Linton, Ralph and Adele. We Gather Together: The Story of Thanksgiving. New York, 1949.
Love, DeLoss William, Jr. The Fast and Thanksgiving Days of New England. Cambridge, MA, 1985
Macy’s parade procession. 2007. Web.
Meyers, Robert J. Celebrations: The Complete Book of American Holidays. Garden City, NY, 1972.
New Release. Thanksgiving Holiday Leave Reaches New High; Turkey Stages a Comeback as Employer Holiday Gift., 2007.
Nissenbaum, Stephen. The Battle for Christmas. New York, McGraw Hill,1996
Pleck, Elizabeth. “The Making of the Domestic Occasion: The History of Thanksgiving in the United States.” Journal of Social History 32.4 (1999): 773-799.
Santino, Jack. All Around the Year: Holidays and Celebrations in American Life. Urbana, Illinois, 1994.
Schmidt, Leigh Eric. Consumer Rites: The Buying and Selling of American Holidays Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1997
Thanks giving dinner can be defined as the celebration of thanks giving day in a traditional way that includes different items of menu such as potato, cranberries, corn, pumpkin, pie etc. It is a tradition observed every year. On this special day, people celebrate feast and give thanks. Usually, the dinner is served in the afternoon and the whole family and their friends come together to celebrate by taking delicious food and drink. Food is prepared along with a number of side dishes. Turkey can be prepared in many ways such as roasting, frying, grilling etc.
Table Setting and Preparations
There are a set of table tips for the thanks giving dinner. At first, make sure that everything is ready at the table such as sufficient plates, spoons, chairs, utensils, knives etc. Take all the dining equipments for washing and cleaning one by one. Plastic dining sets which are very attractive and beautiful can be used for the dinner. Arrange the table and chairs in a way that is convenient to the people to sit. The plates have to be placed at the center of the table in front of the guest and the knives and spoons on the right side of the guest. The fork and napkin must be placed on the left side of the guest. Drinks must be on the right side and bread must be kept on the left side of the guest. Soup must be poured in a soup bowl and must be kept on the plate. If the table is not big enough to keep all these items, keep a separate folding table near to the table and make space for the turkey on the table. Before serving, it must be ensured that everyone sits at the table. If everyone is seated, start with serving side dishes.
There are a lot of things which are to be kept in mind while one plans a thanksgiving dinner. At first, the list of the guests should be prepared before planning the menu. Thanksgiving dinner includes mainly four sections, such as appetizers, main course, side dishes, and desserts. It requires a lot of hard work to prepare and cool all these items. It is important to know whether the guests are vegetarians or non-vegetarians and if there are vegetarians, vegetarian food must also be prepared. Making the list of all items which are required for the menu is a risky work. We must check whether they are available in the kitchen. Then invite the relatives and friends and identify the guests who are sure to come and who are not sure for the function. Then, the dining table should be arranged with wine glasses, dinnerware, napkins, spoons, knives and other decorations and it should be set according to the number of people. Other appliances such as oven, thermometer must be checked whether they are clean or not. We have to start cleaning the house before weeks and start decorations.
Dishes
Some of the dishes must be prepared in advance. Buy a turkey before one month of dinner and make cheese cakes before two weeks of dinner. Preparing cranberry sauce and defrosting the turkey are important and it should be done before a week. Preparation of pie and chopping of vegetables can be done one day before the dinner and other dishes like roasted turkey, salads have to be prepared on the day of dinner.
The Thanksgiving Day that I had this year was something awesome. I think it is very interesting and important to learn something new in life. And traditions of celebrating this or that holiday is important as well as useful. I mean when you live in another country to know some particular customs about the holiday. The thing is that we do not celebrate such holiday in my native country. That is why I learnt many interesting facts about the Thanksgiving Day and the way it is celebrated. I really enjoyed the holiday, and I am looking forward for the next year when I will have an opportunity to celebrate it once again and recollect all traditions which are connected with the holiday.
As a foreign student I participated in the annual program organized to show us how the Thanksgiving Day is celebrated. One of the parts of the program was the dinner. Frankly speaking, it was my favourite part of the holiday. Other foreign students and our teacher were like a family. I liked the dinner not only because it was a very delicious, but also of the atmosphere which was during the preparation of the evening. The whole day I had a feeling that it would be a happy evening. I liked that feeling, because it was like a fairy-tale in which everything is possible. While preparation the teacher told us about the holiday. I learnt that the aim of the holiday is to celebrate harvest. In other words, the aim of the holiday is to God and everybody for warm relationships, help, and care. Many years ago it was a religious holiday, because people thanked to God for the harvest. Today, during the holiday people say “thank you” to everyone, not just God. The holiday is primarily celebrated in the United States, but it is also celebrated in other countries.
As I already said, there are many traditions during the holiday. Our teacher told us that several generations of one family gather together to celebrate the holiday. Each of the family has to say “thank you” to everyone who is present on the dinner. By the way, I liked the fact that the meal which is eaten during the Thanksgiving Day today is the same as it was several centuries ago. By the way, the first year when the holiday was celebrated was the 1621 year. One of the traditions of the Thanksgiving Day is to present gifts. The presents are the symbols of thanks to older people, relatives, and friends. For example, the usual gifts during the Thanksgiving Day are chocolates, flowers, jewelry, candies, etc. another tradition of the Thanksgiving Day is decoration of the house. Usually, American people decorate their homes with flowers and wreaths. We decorated the place where we celebrated the holiday as well. Other students and I used different lights to decorate the room in which we celebrated the holiday. I liked the process of decoration because we spoke about different pleasant things with my friends and our teacher. Now I understand, why American people enjoy this holiday: because it is one of the ways to unite with dear people. Another interesting and pleasant tradition is to send messages to different people to say them “thank you”, and other pleasant things. I prepared several messages and sent it to several people. I also received messages in which my friends and close people congratulated me with the holiday. I liked this tradition very much, it really made me smile. On the whole the Thanksgiving Day was very similar to Christmas and New Year Day: everybody sent greetings, and funny cards, presented pleasant presents, etc. I enjoyed the atmosphere of the holiday; it is a really kind holiday.
As I have already said, the dinner was magnificent and I liked it as well as the whole evening. Of course, it was rather challenging for us to cook all meals. As we did not know how to do it, our teacher helped us to do it. She explained that there are certain products which are considered the symbols of Thanksgiving Day: pumpkin, turkey, corn, cranberry, cornucopia, and beans. All they are used as ingredients to the holiday dinner. Our teacher told us that after we cooked the Thanksgiving Day dinner, we will be ready to cook dinner to another holiday, Christmas, because they are very familiar. The most difficult task was to cook the turkey. Our teacher explained us that many people call Thanksgiving Day a turkey day. That is why it was highly important not to spoil it. We added different herbs in order to make it more delicious and spicy. I should that it was so big, that one turkey was enough to feed our big company. I liked the holiday, and would like to celebrate it in my native land. I think my relatives would enjoy it as well, as this holiday serves to fasten relations in a family.
There many movies which can be used in the process of education and nursing. For example, the Mary Poppins is one of them. I liked the movie because it is one of the kindest and warm films. On the one hand, it is very interesting for children. On the other hand, it is like a lesson for them: how to behave, talk with grown-ups, and not to make mistakes. I liked the movie because it was colorful, and it was pleasant to watch the play of the actors. And the songs which actors perform were really nice. I liked not only music, but also lyrics. They suggested interesting ideas to think about. I think that film should be watched not only by children, but also by parents. I think that very often parents forget what it means to be a child, that is why they do understand their kids. The movie offers ideas how to make children understand that their parents understand their world, their wishes, etc. what I liked most of all that the movie about Mary Poppins does not show anything bad. Unlike modern children cartoons and films, the Mary Poppins is totally kind. As for me, I learnt how to behave with children in order them to trust me. Moreover, it made me think that we are all children, even in fifty years old. And we should not forget about the beauty around us, and not dive into the routine of everyday life. I think that the Mary Poppins should be in every home where children live, because it is both entertaining and educative, and popularizes only positive emotions and ideas.
I want to compare my native Canadian cuisine with UAE to understand the differences. As an event, I chose Thanksgiving in Canada and Uraza Bayram in Eastern culture. The main tradition of Thanksgiving is to spend this day in the circle of family and close friends, to be with those to whom people are grateful for every minute of communication (Hepner, 2018). Uraza Bayram is the day when the holy month of Ramadan ends, with it, the strict fasting. On the day of Uraza Bayram, when the sun rises, all restrictions are lifted, and believers can eat any food allowed by Islam.
Interesting Facts about Cultural Background
Canada, like any other country, is culturally specific. Respect and equal treatment for everyone in the country are the norms for Canadians. It is not common in the country to judge other people by their clothes, car, or job. Canadians are incredibly polite, and apologizing is in their blood. In the country, it is customary to help each other and always be on the positive side. Canadians generally are not superstitious, but many still pay attention to the signs. Thirteen is considered an unlucky number, so most houses do not have a 13th floor, just as there is no 13th parking space. Many Canadians are serious believers in astrology, the pseudo-science of predicting the future by the position of celestial bodies. Most Canadian newspapers print a daily horoscope compiled by a certified astrologer.
There are many interesting cultural differences in the UAE. For example, an Orthodox Muslim must pray five times a day (Kulwicki, 2021). Traditionally, the handshake among Arabs is a symbol of special affection. Never refuse a treat when a guest comes to the house of an Arab; it can be perceived as an insult. A striking manifestation of national culture is traditional sports. A special place here belongs to falconry, which is still popular in Dubai. Family relationships in Arab countries are strictly regulated by Islamic law. During a conversation with a resident, one should not ask about his wife, as it can be perceived as an insult.
Two menus
On Thanksgiving, dishes such as roast turkey in cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, and mashed potatoes are sure to be on the table. According to tradition, one of the main dishes of the first Thanksgiving was the roast turkey (Felter, 2020). The bird, found in the forests of North America, was beloved by the colonists because of its unpretentious eating habits, fast growth, and large size (Zhongming et al., 2021). Because the holiday is in the fall, pumpkin pie becomes the most relevant. Mashed potatoes are a classic side dish that accentuates the flavor of the turkey.
On the holiday of Uzara Bayram, the dishes will be the meat of ram, pilaf, and dried fruits. The tradition of preparing mutton is related to the prophet Ibrahim, to whom Allah commanded to sacrifice his son Ishmael (Nasution, 2022). However, at the last moment, he chose a ram. Pilaf is usually cooked over a fire to enjoy its flavor. Since turkey is white meat, it would be perfectly paired with white wine. For lamb meat with a bright aroma but a delicate flavor, people should choose bright, berry, and juicy wines with delicate tannins: aged Malbec, Shiraz, or mature Bordeaux.
Conclusion
After making this comparison, I learned why it is common to eat turkey on Thanksgiving in Canada. An interesting fact for me was that consuming ram body parts in the UAE is related to the day of the week. I can identify two similarities and differences between the selected countries’ cultures. The first similarity may be that it is customary to eat meat on holidays, and the second may be that it is polite. The difference may be the attitude toward guests and the attitude toward women.
References
Felter, C. (2020). Home for Thanksgiving: How Holidays May Present a Public Health Threat.
Hepner, S. (2018). Thanksgiving Traditions-Shelby.
Kulwicki, A. D. (2021). People of Arab heritage. In Textbook for transcultural health care: A population approach (pp. 251-276). Springer, Cham. Web.
Nasution, M. S. A. (2022). The Sharia Concerning Hajj Based on Syar’u Man Qablana Approach (An Analysis of History and Maqasid Sharia). Al-Mashlahah Jurnal Hukum Islam dan Pranata Sosial, 10(01), 31-52.
Zhongming, Z., Linong, L., Xiaona, Y., Wangqiang, Z., & Wei, L. (2021). Celebrate Thanksgiving with Turkey… and Leftovers.