On Thanksgiving

Let me come right out and say that I’m not very interested in Thanksgiving at all.  It’s one of my least favorite secular American holidays.  Every year I see kids doing their pilgrim and Native American pageants while adults smile and nod as they perpetuate misinformation… It makes me really jaded.  I have Native American heritage and, while it’s too little to be considered part of a tribe, it’s something I am proud of.  I always feel a little hypocritical doing the whole Thanksgiving thing…  That and I’m a vegetarian so the emphasis on factory-farmed turkey makes me gag.  (At least get one from a local, organic farm or hunt your own, for goodness’ sake!)

I celebrate bounty and harvest earlier – around the Autumn Equinox.  The only reason I continue to do the Thanksgiving “thing” is because it’s important to my mother.

There are two good things I do enjoy about Thanksgiving – things I enjoy as a result of just about any holiday or excuse to get together – family and good food.  As a foodie, I enjoy the opportunity to cook and bake from scratch.  I shared a photo of my homemade dinner rolls but I also made cranberry sauce!  I’m particularly proud of this dish – it smells so divine.  I filled my crock pot with a ton of root veggies.  I’ve been feeling a wee overwhelmed since my last CSA order arrived!

Next year, when I’m not so busy, I hope to have my family over for one of my holidays.  I keep saying that, but I really want to make it happen next year…

Anyway, if you do celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope you have a good time with your family.  It is good to gather with the tribe, celebrate the Earth’s bounty, and be thankful.  Just really take some time to consider the last bit.  Really meditate on where your food comes from, on the land you walk on, and the history of your people.  Don’t blot out the mistakes of the past just because they happened in the past.  Remember your ancestors of blood and of place and be thankful for the sacrifices they made.