A share of the pie

As one heads towards the end of the year, festivities have begun to knock on the doors. For American expatriates in the City, with another ‘Thanksgiving Day’ here, it is a time to reflect on the time that has passed by and be thankful for the good tidings of the year. The hotels and restaurants too are keeping up with the tradition with a multitude of offerings.

‘Thanksgiving Day’, which falls on the fourth Thursday of November every year, is for some expatriates, a family tradition while for others it is an occasion to meet their dear ones and spend some quality time. Susan Hempsell, who hails from New Jersey, says that though being grateful is a big part of the day, ‘Thanksgiving’ is a non-denominational holiday which allows all Americans to enjoy the special meaning of unity, courage and peace. Susan, who moved to the City recently, with her husband Richard and daughters Grace and Sophie, says that they plan to have a dinner outside with friends this year.

“When I think of the day, I think of the story behind the day, when Native Americans came together with the pilgrims and shared a meal. It is a very special time. People take long train rides and flight trips to be with each other,” she says.

Greg Moran, founder and CEO of Zoomcar and is from New York, says that back home, ‘Thanksgiving’ is usually spent playing football and being with friends and family. “It’s the best holiday in the US when everyone comes together. People cook, drink and play sports. It is about spending quality time.” He adds that there are those who hang out and watch American football on television.

“I won’t be here this ‘Thanksgiving’ but I plan to have a good meal on Saturday, when I’m back,” he adds.

Frances, who hails from Washington DC but has made Bengaluru her home, recollects her childhood ‘Thanksgiving’ memories. She says that her favourite memory is the one where she insisted on having a peanut butter sandwich instead of turkey. “My parents gave in and fixed a sandwich for me. But now when I think about it, it seems silly,” she says.  She remembers the day being synonymous with turkey, bread stuffing, peas, carrots, gravy and pies. “It used to be a grand day when my entire family would gather together and a 25-pound turkey would be cooked at my grandmother’s place.” Now, it’s about meeting friends and having a pleasant meal.

An important tradition of the day is breaking the turkey wishbone, says Dan Durkin, from Colorado, who stays here with wife Kristen Kirchmann and daughter Lily Marie Durkin. “Inside the turkey, there is a bone called the wishbone. After the meal, people at the table fight over it. There is a friendly contest where people pull on it, and the wishes of the one who ends up with the bigger portion are believed to come true.” Dan says that the food is spicier where he comes from because of the  Mexican influence. “The celebration here is different. It was more about family there but more about friends now. We are headed to Sri Lanka to celebrate the day with our friends this year,” he says.

Nick Ratterman, who runs a startup ‘Better Brains’ in the City, and hails from Colorado says that ‘Thanksgiving’ reminds him of the large meal he and his family have on the day. “What made the day unique was the sheer number of people involved. My dad’s family is huge, so ‘Thanksgiving’ usually consists of 40 to 50 people in a house. Everybody brings in a dish or two, so there is always ample food. And after, the gastronomical gluttony, people generally relax and nap,” he says. 

 What he looks forward to every year is the ‘food coma’. “When you overeat, the body pumps a disproportionate amount of blood to the stomach to aid digestion. As a consequence, you feel sleepy and go into a ‘food coma’. Early evening naps ensue and the sleep is extra restful. The best part is waking up after the sun has gone down and starting to work on the left-overs.” Nick says that this year, he will feast with Indians. “Luckily, my wonderful wife is sympathetic to me being away from home and she has planned a wonderful dinner for us. This will be my first fully vegetarian ‘Thanksgiving’ and I am looking forward to it as she is a great cook,” he says.

“Being grateful about all the good things in life make a big part of the day,” says Shannon B Olsson, who works with the National Centre for Biological Sciences, and hails from Depeyster, New York. She lives here with  husband Petter and daughter Grace and says that the day is “about being happy for what one has”.

    The specialities, she says, include turkey, stuffing (with apples and cranberries), mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie, make most of the spread. “We also have macaroni and cheese and our newest favourite ‘Lonely Chicago Pie’, on that day.”

This ‘Thanksgiving’, Shannon will be having her colleagues from the lab at NCBS, friends and family over. “There are so many things to be thankful for this year. This is our first full year in India!” she says.