Thanksgiving

[whotheheckami]

It's November and Christmas is looming ahead of us. However, the fourth Thursday in November is when Americans celebrate Thanksgiving. The American Thanksgiving holiday grew out of various harvest festivals but has come to mean more than just giving thanks for crops. Harvest is still an important festival for Sarah and me, but we have lots of other

Comments

[moral_vacuum]

You may wish to note that Margaret Thatcher resigned on Thanksgiving.

[whotheheckami]

I fear that many of our aquaintances are looking forward to another day to celebrate something about Baroness Thatcher - bloody ghouls!

[siani_hedgehog]

1. Should the UK mark Thanksgiving?
i'd like a harvest festival. and thankfulness comes naturally with that kind of celebration, so i'd be okay with it,

2. If so, how should it be marked?
EATING. ALL FESTIVALS MEAN FEASTING.

3. When should it be celebrated?
i'm seconding inulro on the canadian date being more sensible. the US one makes sense in the southern US, i guess, but it is too late for a UK thanksgiving. i like my festivals to be seasonal, and the canadian date is really good for a nice feast of autumn food.

4. What other occasions we should have holidays and celebrations for in the UK?
i want a midsummer one in the swedish style, with an all night party on the shortest night, with lanterns and outdoor food, and staying up until it's light again.

[sarah_mum]

Yup, I'm in agreement with most of this, especially 4.
Although I'm also very much with Mr Red in that we should make our own ceremonies and celebrations.

[whotheheckami]

I love the idea of a midsummer night's festival. Perhaps we should corodinate calendars now?

[siani_hedgehog]

shall i mark up the weekend of the 25th june? that seems to be the one the swedes are doing... :)

[owlfish]

I fill my "UK Thanksgiving" niche at Christmas, but that's because I mostly think of Thanksgiving as "big meal with roast turkey and lots of roast vegetables and dessert and hours of collapse afterward thanks to eating too much". Which is what C.'s family does here at Christmas.

Of course, I also celebrate US and Canadian Thanksgiving because it's a good meal, especially when spaced out at 4-6 week intervals for recovery time.

[whotheheckami]

Plenty of scope for more Turkey-days

[alterred]

Do we need it to be sanctioned for those would would like it to do so?

We celebrate a whole host of Feast Days that the UK (nor any other particular nation, for that matter) is likely oblivious to, but to us and the people we celebrate them with they are very big deals. :)

[whotheheckami]

No, we don't need sanctions, but the UK is considering another two bank holidays a year to bring us towards the EU average and various bollocks has been spouted about having one on Trafalgar Day or St George's Day. I;ve long felt that there should be a holiday between August and Christmas and a Harvest/Thanksgiving event is more acceptable to me than Remembrance Day/Veterans's Day.

[frostfox]

Given how top heavy Christmas celebrations have become, I would love a holiday for Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, each given equal weight. Secular and open to all.

FF

[whotheheckami]

That would work, but the UK seems to have too many holidays when the weather conspires to make the celebration a huddle inside sort of affair

[kissmeforlonger]

Yes - those May and August bank holidays are always miserable :-P