Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It’s the one holiday that is about gratitude, the one holiday that hasn’t been contaminated with rampant consumerism (although I imagine turkey farmers do pretty well this time of year). It’s all about friends and family and cooking up an indulgent dinner in the gloomy tail of autumn. For the last four years as an expatriate living in countries in which the fourth Thursday in November is just another work day I’ve managed to celebrate Thanksgiving. Usually it involved a group of hastily assembled Brits who were slightly confused as to why we were eating turkey in November.
But this year, I screwed it up. I’m still getting used to the Southern Hemisphere seasonal reversal and as November ticked away the days got longer rather than shorter, sunnier rather than cloudier and warmer rather than colder. I knew that Thanksgiving was coming up, I mean I can read a calendar, but I procrastinated my way into a hole. I didn’t make plans. So, A Free Man’s Thanksgiving will be notably lacking in turkey, stuffing, pumpkin, football and fellowship this year.
But one of the endearing things about Thanksgiving is that it is in large part a state of mind. I’ve got a lot to be thankful for, I’ve got a lot of gratitude. I’ll spend the day being grateful for all the wonderful things in my life rather than flagellating myself for procrastination.
And I’ve got Arlo Guthrie. And I’ve got the masacree in four part harmony. My Dad subjected me and my sister to Guthrie’s twenty minute Thanksgiving epic every year for as long as I can remember. That is a Thanksgiving tradition that I can handle. So, to amend for my laziness, this year I’ll play Boy Z “Alice’s Restaurant”, make up a batch of turkey curry and make a Thanksgiving resolution to get my shit together next year. To my American readers – have a fantastic Thanksgiving. And remember, if you want to end war and stuff you’ve got to sing loud:
You can get anything you want, at Alice’s Restaurant
You can get anything you want, at Alice’s Restaurant
Walk right in it’s around the back
Just a half a mile from the railroad track
You can get anything you want, at Alice’s Restaurant.
Maybe if you sing it with me in four part harmony and with feeling I’ll be able to hear it from Down Under.
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Get Arlo Guthrie’s classic album “Alice’s Restaurant” from
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by Andrew
27 Nov 2008 at 06:32
Happy Thanksgiving. eat lots and enjoy time with family.
by arizaphale
27 Nov 2008 at 06:48
Hooray! You posted Alice again!!!! I LOVE Alice
Oh and Happy Thanksgiving.
We all have much to be grateful for.
by twin
27 Nov 2008 at 07:40
Nice post. (I wandered over from nursemyra’s)
Happy Thanksgiving.
by suzer
27 Nov 2008 at 08:09
You have to come out sometime, with your family invited of course, to one of our monthly expat gatherings. (We’re meeting at The Stag next Wednesday at 6pm…I have a section reserved.) Although there are people there from all over the world, we do have a decent amount of Americans, and hubs and I got invited to a Thanksgiving do with a few other Amer-Aussie couples, which I’m quite pleased about.
You are right and I never really thought about it. Not only is Thanksgiving non-commercial, it is also the holiday when most of us make a true effort to get to see our extended family (’cept when you happen to be 10,000 miles away from them), as evidence by the Sunday after being the busiest day for air travel.
One last thing. See the blog below:
http://expatsinadelaide.blogspot.com/
I had thought to add your blog, but thought perhaps I should ask first. Let me know if you’d like to add it…so far its all Yanks, but hopefully it will branch out a bit.
Happy Thanksgiving…and don’t forget to watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving with your little one;)
Suzer
by ms picket to you
27 Nov 2008 at 09:06
dude! i saw him do this with Pete Seeger when I was nine or something. i put the karaoke version on my Ipod (i know — they make that?) and it was complete hilarity at about midnight with all of us and the drunken uncles most of all.
PS: re: Cash, Willie, Bonnie: that WAS the good stuff, played on cassette, so we didn’t have to hear the crap on the radio.
happy expat Thanksgiving!
by suzer
27 Nov 2008 at 09:13
bugger—i think my big long comment disappeared?
by admin
27 Nov 2008 at 09:19
No, Suzer, it got picked up by my Spam filter. Sorted now.
by mongoliangirl
27 Nov 2008 at 09:25
Happy T. Day to you and yours as well. No amends needed. Especially when thanks, gratitude, a willingness to change and Alice’s Restaurant are in the air.
by maggie, dammit
27 Nov 2008 at 09:25
I agree, it’s my favorite holiday too, for all the same reasons.
(but I’m thankful for Arlo Guthrie all year long.)
Happy Thanksgiving!
by suzer
27 Nov 2008 at 09:26
Ah probably the link…good stuff. Have added your blog, thanks.
by Rambling Canuck
27 Nov 2008 at 11:01
Happy holidays, Free Man.
by HereInFranklin
27 Nov 2008 at 12:18
Your dad is (was?) awesome to play that for you. I’ll have a bite of my cornbread/sausage/pecan stuffing in your honor tomorrow.
by Coal Miner's Granddaughter
27 Nov 2008 at 13:04
I’ll make sure to consume enough turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin pie for us both.
Hope you have a wonderful, thankful Thanksgiving.
by heather
27 Nov 2008 at 15:32
…excepting Alice. I will absolutely play that song for my younglings tomorrow. How wonderful you are for the memory.
by nursemyra
27 Nov 2008 at 16:29
I want me some of that cornbread/sausage/pecan stuffing that’s on offer at HereinFranklin’s place
by SSG
27 Nov 2008 at 18:01
happy, errr, thanksgiving, err, whatever that is. Do you watch groundhog day repeatedly or something? And I hope you give thanks for the wonderful life you have!
by Lora
27 Nov 2008 at 21:27
Its 7am here in Philly and I’m under the covers reading blogs on my phone and smelling the neighbors turkey. And singing alices restaurant to my cat…
by The Unbearable Banishment
28 Nov 2008 at 00:02
Happy Thanksgiving from the East Coast of the U.S. The Macy’s parade is on as I type this. Soon, Santa. Then, New York City will get gussied up for the holiday like a cheap dime store whore. I wouldn’t have it any other way!
by busydady mumbles
28 Nov 2008 at 01:52
Happy Thanksgiving. Hope your Turkey day down under is wonderful.
All the best,
by carrie
28 Nov 2008 at 03:25
hooray for alice’s restaurant and turkey curry!
by father muskrat
28 Nov 2008 at 07:26
Happy Thanksgiving! Sorry you nearly forgot. Hope the day turns out well regardless, and there’s always next year.
by Hezamarie
28 Nov 2008 at 09:38
Here, Here! Happy Thanksgiving.
by Jessica K
28 Nov 2008 at 13:50
Happy Thanksgiving to you, too.
Sorry you missed the boat this year. About 12:35 this afternoon, I was wishing I had abstained at least a little bit. Blue jeans get awfully tight on Thanksgiving…
by NATUI
29 Nov 2008 at 10:32
No matter what you stuff in your face, if you go to bed on Thanksgiving night with a full belly and didn’t kill or maim any family members it was a good good day.
by bluestreak
07 Dec 2008 at 02:40
Thanksgiving feels even more important to me now that I´m over here and far away. I called my parents on Thanksgiving and was talking to my dad and he asked me about our turkey and I said we were doing ours on Saturday (since I had to work on Thursday) and he says, “oh right, they do it on the Saturday over there” and I said, “Uh, no, they don´t do it at all over here, I do.” And then he says, “right, right. That´s a shame. Thanksgiving is the best holiday”. And it really is.
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