Americans Overseas - Thanksgiving?

[Giraffe]

I just realized Thanksgiving is coming - soon. We are overseas. I want DD (age 5) to know and understand Thanksgiving (and Christmas, and Independence Day and so on), so I'm looking for how to best go about celebrating the holiday.

 

Background - DH is back in the US, working. It's just me and DD. I have tons of Turkish family around me, but I'm not involved in the American community here (if there even is one).

 

I'm looking for ideas. What do you all do for Thanksgiving? How do you celebrate?

[HSMWB]

When we were overseas we invited friends (we had no family, this was pre-kids) and made a dinner and had a party. My husband generally had the day off and so he would get the meal started so that it was not insanely late. Sometimes friends would each bring a plate of something. We generally made ham because a turkey could not fit into the oven and was not to be found except in the ex-pat market for $$$$. We had a good time. I remember once a friend was in a bar on the way over and ran into an American sitting in the bar just in the country on business and the stranger was welcomed into our home as a guest and it was great.

[TravelingChris]

We got traditional food and made it. Dh did not get the day off since he was working for NATO and it was not a Belgian holiday. We just ate after he came home.

[Amira]

When we've been overseas in various places for Thanksgiving, I'd usually make a few traditional dishes (or something close to them) and we'd do our own meal. The food is the important part to my husband, so that was usually the only time we'd eat something that was almost American. My kids didn't really get it when they were little, but they did when they were older.

[Giraffe]

Thanks for the advice. DD has school that day so whatever we do will be in the evening. It's a school night so family with kids probably won't be able to make it. I grew up with this being a big day and I guess I'm just struggling a little with what to do. One of the joys of becoming/being an expat I reckon.

 

I can get and roast a turkey. I can make dressing, mashed potatoes, green beans. No cranberries, no pumpkin, no yellow squash (Southerner here, I'll miss my squash casserole!). I'll try an apple pie.

 

It will be ok, right?

[chiguirre]

Before kids, dh and I went out to an American restaurant that had Thanksgiving dinner. Once we had kids, we'd have roast chicken, squash, mashed potatoes and green beans on the Sunday after Thanksgiving and invite dh's family.

[Amira]

 

It will be ok, right?

 

:grouphug: It will be okay. And maybe you'll make some great new memories, or even some new traditions. Next time you're in the US for Thanksgiving, you might want to sneak in some Turkish food. ;) Or create a new bulgur stuffing?

[Amira]

Can you get any type of squash? I've used quite a variety of squash in many different colors to make "pumpkin" pie. Some have been amazing.

[moonlight]

we have a pretty decent expat/homeschooling community here.

 

we always get together with our friends (american and not) and have a big feast. everyone always brings something to share. it's usually never traditional thanksgiving fare, but we try to make it festive with at least a couple of things...pecan pie, pumpkin pie...the kids always do a thanksgiving inspired art/craft project.

 

i'm not sure if it was already mentioned, but we make a thanksgiving tree every year. we start off with a tree trunk and my boys add what they are thankful for on a leaf throughout the month.

[Deb in NZ]

I've spent Thanksgiving overseas for the past 22 years. The first year I was teaching in a small private school on an atoll in the Pacific. Four of us teachers got together for Thanksgiving Dinner & we each brought the one dish we thought no Thanksgiving could do without. We had turkey, apple pie, pumpkin pie, & cornbread stuffing. We did add in a few other dishes to round out the meal. After that year we have always celebrated Thanksgiving in the spirit of the first Thanksgiving. We invite a few people who have played an important part in our lives that year. I make the basics (turkey & stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, apple pie, homemade rolls) and our guests each bring a veg. dish & a dessert. That way even the fussiest eaters have something on the table they like. My kids really look forward to Thanksgiving each year. We usually celebrate it on the saturday after Thanksgiving as it isn't a holiday here in New Zealand. As turkey is very expensive (~$70+ for a 10 pound bird) there has been a few years that I cooked a huge 6+ pound chicken & we all pretended it was turkey. I've been tempted to cook a big roast lamb in keeping with the spirit of the holiday (i.e. cooking what was easily available at the time), but my dc threatened to revolt They love lamb, but Thanksgiving HAD to have turkey.

 

Dh (a NZer) likes to tell everyone that American eat on Thanksgiving, give gifts on Christmas, & drink on New Years. NZers do all three on Christmas. Passing down traditions to our children is important. Sometimes traditions change overtime due to circumstances & that is OK. That makes them YOUR family's traditions.

 

 

Blessings,

Edited November 4, 2012 by Deb in NZ

[TheReader]

We usually celebrate on the Saturday before or after, as my husband does not have off on the actual day. We haven't ever really done a truly traditional thing, although we incorporate parts of that as we can, depending on what we can find in our grocery stores. One year we had stuffed duck because it was cheaper than turkey but nicer than just doing chicken, again. This year I'm going to try ham maybe, as I found something that might work to mimic that. (a pork roast/steak/thing)

 

With a 5 yr old, I'd read some about Thanksgiving, maybe do some color sheets (All About Coloring is a great website for free printable coloring pages) and then make whatever foods will help you feel you're celebrating Thanksgiving. Doesn't have to be US traditional, just something special.

[DawnM]

I grew up overseas and Thanksgiving was never a big day for me. When I moved to the US people felt sorry for me because I had no place to go (my parents were still overseas) but honestly, I never felt it was a big deal and didn't mind just spending it with my friends in the dorm or whatever. I much preferred that to going to someone else's house and feeling the need to offer to help clean up after 25 people or having to sit and watch a sporting activity I really wasn't interested in.

 

Now that I live permanently in the US, I do try to make Thanksgiving special. We have another family here who also doesn't have any extended family around. We have had Thanksgiving with them for 6 years now. We haven't planned this Thanksgiving yet.

 

Dawn

[Giraffe]

Thanks y'all. Amira, you have a great idea with the squash - I'll see what I can find to make my casserole. Pumpkin pie isn't as important to us (shock, I know), but the casserole is what *makes* Thanksgiving for me. And I have been known to sneak a couple of Turkish dishes in when we were in the US, so there's precentdent for doing it here. :)

 

I think I will follow all y'all and do something on the weekend for the crowd, but I may still try to have something that evening, even if it's just for DD and me.

 

Thank you again for all your input. It really does help to know what others do and that I'm not alone in this.