My first Thanksgiving

One of the many things I want to experience in the United States during my exchange is American holidays. On my list was, of course, Thanksgiving. Is it mainly about eating turkey? Read and you'll find out 😊.

What is Thanksgiving?

When I discussed with my friends that this would be my first Thanksgiving, many of them were surprised that we don't celebrate this holiday in my country, Poland. Then, I read a little more about the subject. It is a holiday celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday of November. They celebrate in memory of the first harvest festival of the residents of Plymouth colony in 1621. In simpler terms, the holiday refers to the arrival of the first European settlers to America. Originally, the colony's residents wanted to give thanks for the bountiful crops they harvested that summer.

At first, I thought it was only a typical family holiday. Nothing could be further from the truth. Many people prepare this holiday with their closest friends a few days before or after the original Thanksgiving feast. A group of friends also invited me.

Friendsgiving

On that day, we all gathered around one big table at the home of one of my friends. Everyone was to prepare a dish. Some prepared hot meals and others prepared desserts. Pierogi is my favorite Polish dish, so I decided to prepare that. Everything looked delicious. Before the meal, we all grabbed hands and everyone said what they were thankful for this year. Some answers were personal, some were down-to-earth, some less sophisticated, but all together, we created a kind of intimate atmosphere. After the meal, we went outside, sat by the fire, had hot chocolate, and roasted marshmallows to make s'mores.

Thanksgiving

My host parents and I were invited to their friends' house for dinner. The day before, we prepared pumpkin pie and stuffing to bring. It was a very good way to spend time with my host family while we all bustled around the kitchen together. From the entrance, we were greeted by our hosts. During a break, while we were bustling around in the kitchen, we all played puns together laughing and hanging out.

When the moment came, we sat down behind the table and started tasting everything. The table was filled with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, yams, various vegetables, small rolls, and all sorts of sauces. It was a very enjoyable day, during which we talked to each other about all sorts of topics and learned about each other and the cultures of our countries.