Thanksgiving Traditions

November 2019

Food for thought

Emmy Jansen
MSMU Class of 2023

As the fourth of five kids, home was always a bustling, busy place and holidays were no exception. Hours spent crammed into the kitchen, an extra folding table set up because the counters didn’t have enough room to hold all the parts of the meal. Relatives we saw often and relatives we didn’t see often enough with their cars parked in the grass and gravel out front like at the county fair. I remember keeping after my mom’s heels, constantly bugging her to help even though she had plenty of hands between my aunts and other siblings. I loved family gatherings, and I still do. Being on the younger half of my family, with siblings and cousins starting adulthood when I was starting middle school, I was always shoved at the kid’s table with my much younger family members. We’d eat our kid’s menu version of the meals, usually just turkey, stuffing, and a vegetable our parents could convince us to try. Sipping apple juice out of plastic festive wine glasses, all of us just trying to feel older than we were for as long as we could. After all the other kids had finished their food and gone off to play, I’d sneak into the other room and grab an empty seat at the adult’s table. I would just listen. It didn’t matter what they said, whether it was politics, family history, or drama in the daily life; I would sit silently, swinging my feet off the chair and watch my parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents talk for hours on end.

Now that I’m older, siblings have moved out and relatives have moved farther and farther away. Holidays are no longer big occasions that require hours of preparing and planning since the attendance gets smaller and smaller every year. I’m old enough now to not just listen to the family that is there but I’m able to partake in the conversation. This year, I’ll be the one coming from far away and only staying for the holiday break. Things are different, but things are good.

For Thanksgiving, my family doesn’t have any traditions that are unlike the typical ones most families share: carving the turkey, breaking the wishbone, and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. But the holiday itself is a tradition. Some years, it was the only time I saw certain relatives, who lived too far or were too busy to come visit any other time. Coming from a big Catholic family, family was one of the most important things there was. Since the first generation of French-Canadian immigrants stepped onto American soil, we’ve been making our roots here. In a short amount of time, we’ve spread across the country, stopping in almost half of the states to make a temporary home. I’ve become the product of a Californian dad and brother, Connecticut mom, Coloradan sister, and two other Virginian siblings like me. And now, as I write this in my Maryland dorm room, I feel myself growing new roots here. Where we’ve come from is important, but just as important is where we will go next.

As the season changes, I find myself thinking about all the holiday seasons still to come: Where will I be? Will I become part of the thousands of people traveling across the country to visit relatives and friends they only see once a year? What traditions will become a part of our lives now that things are constantly changing? It’s a terrifying thought at times, one that I’m sure other first year students are feeling. Things are going to be different, but things are going to be good.

There is something to be admired about doing things the way they’ve always been done. There’s a security in knowing what is going to happen, having something to look forward to year after year. Having traditions and rituals we celebrate generation after generation connects us to family past, present, and future, which is a huge part of who we are. As the saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

However, there is something remarkable about change. Never knowing how the future is going to go, the uncertainty of what’s to come can be thrilling. It’s nice to do things the way they’ve always been done, but we should push ourselves out of our comfort zones every once and awhile and try new things. If we don’t, we’ll never learn how great change can be.

An important part of Thanksgiving memories for most people is the food we eat and the attachments we have to it. We remember what was said over the turkey and stuffing, when we’re all seated at the table with those we love surrounding us. Food, especially, is important to me. When I was a freshman in high school, I learned I’d developed multiple food allergies, specifically to egg, wheat, and milk, which are some of the most common ingredients used in dishes and products. This not only changed my day to day life but has drastically changed holidays. Stuffing, gravy, pumpkin pie- all things I looked forward to every fall- were suddenly off limits, potentially for the rest of my life. The tried and true recipes of every Thanksgiving until then were thrown out the window with this one diagnosis. My mom and I scoured the internet looking for recipes, usually coming up empty. The past five years have been trial and error, making new dishes and desserts and seeing what sticks. Some of it we decide never to make again, some we enjoyed so much that we make year-round. Would we still have tried these new things if I didn’t develop these allergies? Probably not. But now we have a new Thanksgiving tradition: trying new things and making new memories that are totally unlike the ones we’ve had before. Things are different, but things are good.

It’s important to remember where we’ve come from. We can never forget our roots, what makes us who we are, and those who were with us along the way. It defines who we are and gives us the basis to move forward. We look back on years, good and bad. Only then can we look to the future. As we remember the Thanksgivings of the past, I know I will be thinking of the Thanksgivings of the future. It’s frightening to know what I don’t know: nothing is set in stone and most things about my life are uncertain. But I find it exhilarating to know that I’ll be spending the next few years figuring it all out. I may not know now, but I will. Things will be different, but things will be good.

Read other articles by Emmy Jansen

How we begin all things

Harry Scherer
Class of 2022

"Kids aren’t like that these days. It’s all different now." These words come from the mouth and heart of my great-aunt, wise in her simplicity and caring in her femininity. As she thinks about the state of things primarily through the lens of observation, she considers the apparent lack of gratitude which permeates our society. Her observation does not come from a place of resentment or with the intention to deride those in our generation, but from a place of sorrow as she observes a people who might be missing the very essential aspects of life which make it good and beautiful and elevate it to a participation in the divine action of God. She implicitly knows that this societal dismissal is indicative of dismissal in our homes and dismissal in our own hearts.

What have we forgotten, then? From an historical perspective, Americans live in one of the most, if not the most, materially prosperous societies in the history of mankind. With rapidly developing technology and the ability to communicate ideas with persons all around the world, it should be the case that this prosperity is recognized and appreciated. But, if my great-aunt is correct, we do not properly take advantage of the gifts which we have been given and use them for the material and spiritual betterment of our neighbor. Perhaps it is because we have forgotten who our neighbor is.

The nature of genuine gratitude necessitates that it be directed to another person. We can be grateful for the benefits of our education or career, housing or food. However, the tangible virtue of gratitude is not reached with this form of gratitude. This is evident merely from a natural perspective: the people who provide that for which we are grateful are the true gift. The gift of one’s time, energy and talents for another, without the promise of material reward or compensation, seems to be the place from which our gratitude flows.

My loving parents who have placed and continue to place all of their comforts and desires to the wayside for me are a gift of which I do not think I will ever recognize the fullness. The selfless teachers who encouraged me to recognize the gifts which God has given me and try my best to help others find those which He has given them are a gift which I can never repay. With both of these examples, it is the thinking and feeling persons who initiated action and participated in love in order to perpetuate the love which they have received and share it.

I am far from understanding or living the virtue of gratitude to the extent to which we are all called, but it seems that the virtue of gratitude inevitably leads to selfless action on the part of the grateful person. Virtue impels and vice hinders. The virtue of gratitude, in particular, impels us to right action and the vice of ingratitude, conversely, hinders this right action and degrades our bodies and mind into complaint.

What is the alternative to this unmerciful and ungrateful scourge of complaint? Perhaps a reordering of our thinking from that of ourselves as the protagonist to that of ourselves as minor characters in a mysterious drama about which we are ignorant of the plot. I am not saying that I successfully live within this paradigm, but it is certainly an ideal which seems to be most like that of our human experience. Within this way of thinking, there lies an inherent sense of gratitude to all those who have come before and all those currently on the stage.

In my eyes, the center of this gratitude should be on those who have come before. Another perplexing attribute of gratitude is that he who is grateful views thanksgiving as a necessity, whereas he who is gracious views it as superfluous. Because gratitude usually is appropriate for persons who have given of themselves in the past, gratitude is a natural result of the labor of men and women who have prepared the world which we have inherited. Of course, the evil that goes on in the world should not be discounted. We know that this evil is a result of the Fall and modern man should not blame persons who have committed evil in the past because these relics of history are cases, in varying degrees of severity, of man’s participation in evil. What makes gratitude distinct from this stark reality is the truth that man has recognized the evil which he is able to accomplish and is also aware of the earthly lures which motivate this participation but elevates himself through a recognition of himself as greater than the beasts in the wild. Living with an awareness for that which is greater is certainly a vocation which we all have received by nature of our humanity. A grateful person seems to be one who embraces this higher calling.

It is certainly for the benefit of our society that we continue to have a month and a special day during which gratitude is emphasized. Like all the other virtues, it is not a habit which we naturally inherit by birth or come to recognize its merits through personal experience. Rather, it is a habit which must be taught to us and discussed so that we may know how and why to be grateful, especially in this era. Ultimately, as we climb up the ladder to see from where this heavenly virtue originates, we arrive at the Word made flesh. Because Christ, as a divine person, came to this earth so that we may learn how to act in a manner which brings us closer to His likeness, He taught us how to be grateful: "And taking bread, he gave thanks" (Luke 22:19). Just as He was about to initiate a Sacrament which brings His Body on earth, he gave thanks. And thus we learn how to begin all things.

Read other articles by Harry Scherer

A barrio Thanksgiving

Angela Guiao
MSMU Class of 2021

Thanksgiving was never my favorite holiday. My parents immigrated to the United States from the Philippines during the Clinton administration. It was easier to get into the country then, and they were lucky enough for the opportunity to better their lives. Thanksgiving never made much sense to them. Now that I come to think about it, my parents always worked on Thanksgiving. I never experienced a Thanksgiving feast complete with a giant turkey, stuffing, and mashed vegetables. At least, never in my own home. Whenever we were invited to celebrate Thanksgiving at another home, the food was usually traditionally Filipino. That means roasted chicken replaced the turkey and there was ube, which is made from purple yams, to replace the mashed potatoes.

Growing up Filipino always made me feel ever-so-slightly out of place. I was born and raised in America. Born in D.C., and grew up around the suburbs (Silver Spring). I never related to the history of America, and the only time I ever heard about the people from my home country was when I learned about the Philippine war. But, according to my mother, the Philippines does celebrate their own version of Thanksgiving. They learned about the holiday after they were colonized by America in 1989. While the majority of Filipinos most likely are not aware of the holiday here in America, they are aware that the Americans have a holiday devoted to giving thanks. As a result, the Filipinos decided to celebrate their gratefulness as well during the anniversaries of their home town.

So, I am going to give you a little taste of a Filipino Thanksgiving. In the Philippines, my family originates from the province of Laguna. Laguna is located about three hours from Manila, the country’s capital. In Laguna, there is a municipality called Santa Maria. And that is where my family is from. Santa Maria is located at the upper tip of Laguna. So if you imagine Laguna to be a crescent moon, we are located at the uppermost tip of that moon. Now, the anniversary of our particular area of Santa Maria is in August, which is why my family usually tries to visit the Philippines during this month.

The celebration of a local town’s anniversary is called a barrio fiesta. During this time, the families who live within that barrio host extravagant dinners and decorate their homes and streets in celebration. Every night, at the local market, where people can buy freshly meat, fish and vegetables, a sort of fair is created. There the locals will come together and play games of bingo, or ride on the mini Ferris wheel. The site will also be littered with different food vendors who sell Filipino delicacies such as fish balls and pig intestines. If you were to visit the fair at night, on the way back home you would pass by several inuman sessions. This is basically a gathering of friends and family at their own personal homes where they drink all night and sing the karaoke. And let me tell you. Filipinos love their karaoke.

The barrio fiesta usually lasts a few days, and oftentimes in the bigger cities, people from all over the country come to visit. Also, being that the Philippines is a catholic country, there are usually visits to church and offerings made to the barrio’s patron saint. Now, this is a big deal in the Philippines, so big that my mother tries to visit every year for the sole purpose of attending the fiesta. It is almost as big of a deal as Christmas, but that’s another story.

The purpose of the barrio fiesta derives from the American understanding of giving thanks for the harvest. This is literally and figuratively. The patron saint of each barrio is given offerings to show ones gratefulness for the blessings they received that year. But also, in many parts of the Philippines, including Santa Maria, the population is made up of farmers. Santa Maria is the rice granary of the Philippines, meaning that a majority of the rice comes from our municipality. So as you could imagine, walking down the dirt street of Santa Maria, you would have one side of you lined with tall, concrete houses, and the other side an expanse of flat farming land.

There would occasionally be a random fruit tree filled with guyabanos or mangoes, and in my experience, a monkey hanging from the door of a tiny street-side convenience store. The smell of dirt is pungent as the roar of diesel motorcycles screech past you, but you can also hear the constant buzzing of the bugs that hide in the long grass in the fields. When I come home from a trip to the Philippines, I often remember what I am grateful for. I may not have the pleasure of sitting around a table with my family and exchanging food with them, but I am grateful for the chance to meet the strangers that my parents grew up with.

Whenever, I wish that I could attend a Thanksgiving dinner, I try to remember the times when I was in the Philippines. I think about the constant noise that comes from the chatter, the laughs, the singing, and the aroma from the frying and grilling of meat. I think about music, and how much Filipinos love music and playing their music insanely loud. I think about alcohol and fresh fruits, homemade dishes that I never heard of or thought I would eat. I think about the stray dogs that nip at your feet while you eat and the satisfied sounds of their chewing when someone throws them some food. I remember the faces of people I do not know who come up and greet me happy fiesta, and the screams of the poor lady who won 100 pesos in a game.

The fiesta is the time where it doesn’t matter where you come from. It doesn’t matter whether you are rich or you are poor. It is a time of celebration for where you are from. The mayor sits next to the garbage man at a game of bingo, and the members of the local government office drinks with the farmers. And basketball. Filipinos love basketball. And during the barrio fiesta, the teams are made of such a mixture of classes, of people. I am grateful for that. I am grateful for where I am from. Our Thanksgiving may not be traditional, but it embodies everything that I love.

Read other articles by Angela (Tongohan) Guiano

The best kind of gathering

Morgan Rooney
MSMU Class of 2020

My first memories of Thanksgiving are very specific. I was four or five, walking around my grandparent’s house back home in Texas. One of my parents would serve me a plate which had turkey which had been cut up in pieces small enough for me to eat. The plate would also contain a scoop of garlic mashed potatoes with a perfect swimming pool of brown gravy floating in the middle. There was a small serving of green beans, which I likely avoided, and some sort of Jell-O with fruit incorporated into it (which I have never been super fond of. I don’t think the two belong together).

My favorite part would be after the main course. I would walk over to the island in the kitchen and gaze over all the pies that covered it. My mom and all of her five siblings would bring a pie, sometimes two. There were so many options. It was the main reason I was so excited to attend, other than seeing my cousins and grandparents. There was a grouping of pumpkin pies, the most popular amongst the kids, there was cherry pie, apple pie (my personal favorite), chocolate cream, and even banana cream pie. They were all delicious, wonderful choices (and much better than the fruit Jell-O stuff).

Now, before I get way too caught up all the delicious choices that many of us are lucky to have on Thanksgiving Day each year, I should explain why I truly love Thanksgiving. To me, Thanksgiving is like Christmas to a certain extent. No, there isn’t quite as much build up and it is celebrating a much different event, however, we celebrate by coming together as friends and family. One great difference I notice is that Thanksgiving comes with much less greed. Yes, I know that Christmas is also meant to be a time of giving, but I notice that sometimes, people get so caught up in the gifts that they forget what it’s all about. With Thanksgiving, there are no physical gifts to be given. There is only the want to provide for each other.

Since I’ve started furthering my education at the Mount, which was over three years ago, I have been unable to go home for Thanksgiving. Texas is a great distance away, airline prices go up, and spending two days traveling is not exactly ideal for a five-day vacation. Fortunately, I have other family in the area who I’ve been spending Thanksgiving with for the past few years. In addition to that, I have become close to several people here that have invited me to their own family Thanksgiving dinners, which I am very complimented by. No one wants another person to be alone on Thanksgiving.

Even though I don’t get to spend time with my parents or my sister for Thanksgiving anymore, it is still great to have a well-deserved break from the regular workload and stress. In addition, I get to see my grandma, aunts, uncles, and cousins who I love to spend time with.

I know in the next few years, my Thanksgiving situation will change a lot. My life will be much different than it is now. I don’t know where I’ll be. I don’t know what job I will have. I don’t know who will be nearby and who will be far away. The one thing I do know is that Thanksgiving is an important holiday that I refuse to miss out on, even if I can’t go home to where my family is.

Although I am no expert on the origins of this holiday, which is definitely one of my favorites, I know that it has been around a while in American history and made its place as an American tradition. This was even before many of my ancestors arrived to the United States in the 19th century from Ireland and Norway. As of now, we hold many traditions with us including the celebration of Thanksgiving each year. This is a holiday that I will certainly celebrate with my children no matter where I live in the future, even if it is not in the United States.

I’ve come across many people these days who claim that Thanksgiving shouldn’t be celebrated because it was not founded on charitable origins, which may hold some truth. However, I don’t believe this is any reason to throw away the holiday. Thanksgiving has evolved into a time when we are meant to get together and celebrate each other. It’s a time to be grateful of huge meal that you share with your family and have the knowledge that not everyone in the country is as fortunate to do the same with their families.

I believe that Thanksgiving is a beautiful representation of why many of our ancestors and so many people today came into the United States in the first place. What we all want is to be nourished and be able to care for and keep our families safe, comfortable, and healthy. Different members of my family came to this country for different reasons. Some of my ancestors were escaping famine, while others were escaping persecution. Some were just looking for a better life with more opportunity for themselves and their families. With any of these reasons, I imagine that Thanksgiving embodies the dream that my ancestors envisioned when they set out to the United States.

I can’t think of any better reason to gather together as friends and family than to cook, talk, and share a beautifully made meal while we catch up. We all live such busy lives and sometimes that means that we unfortunately forget to check up on family and friends. The fact that we take an extra day of the year and dedicate it to doing just that is something we shouldn’t overlook or dread. It is something I hope I always have an appreciation for. We all ended up where we are for a reason, so let’s take a moment to look at how far we’ve come and give thanks for the fortunes that we have.

Read other articles by Morgan Rooney

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