Do you celebrate Thanksgiving?

amother

Tangerine

Thu, Nov 17 2016, 10:01 pm

Growing up, we never did. I haven't as an adult either. Wednesdays and Thursdays are my days to prepare for Shabbos. I can't imagine having to cook for Thanksgiving and then cook again.

So for you moms who do celebrate how do you do it? Do you just cook everything once or...?

amother

Peach

Thu, Nov 17 2016, 10:13 pm

yes. we often have leftovers on shabbat + simple things like deli and cholent. we also to potluck thanksgiving so everyone brings one or two things and it's not too much work for the host. I love thanksgiving!!!

this year I think I will do a dairy friday night dinner with smoked salmon and good bread and cheeses and french onion soup and a big salad and ice cream so that's very minimal prep and lunch will be fake crab salad, cholent and thanksgiving leftovers

Water Stones

Thu, Nov 17 2016, 10:17 pm

My family didn't do celebrate Thanksgiving because we lived in Europe. But dh family celebrates it even that its close to Shabbos and now I do it too in our home. I like that tradition of America to do it.

Thu, Nov 17 2016, 10:39 pm

Yes! My family is happy to be American, and we celebrate American holidays.

We don't have huge Shabbat meals, and I don't host Thanksgiving myself, so it isn't too hard.

amother

Blonde

Thu, Nov 17 2016, 10:45 pm

I grew up with Thanksgiving, as did DH, but neither of us wanted to do Thanksgiving when we got married. But we end up with it a lot anyway, because if we are at either of our parents' homes, we participate.

Thankfully 😊, both sets of parents are very respectful of us and of our schedules, and if they come to us for the weekend, they say that to be with family is what's important, and you can do that eating out or eating takeout.

SRB

Thu, Nov 17 2016, 11:16 pm

Yes we did growing up and still do. I host my parents who are not frum - it's a great day. I'm only serving the basic traditional meal - not over doing it for TG... And keeping Shabbat simple. My father cooks the turkey. Some years we order a cooked turkey to save time. We are proud and thankful to be Americans too.

amother

Taupe

Fri, Nov 18 2016, 12:24 am

Yes we do but on Shabbes not the Thursday. Three heavy meal days in a row is too much, and to have a big feast for a secular holiday and then eat leftovers or a vocherdig meal on Shabbes is just wrong. But the traditional t-day foods are very appropriate for Shabbes and a turkey can feed a lot of guests so it works out real well.

5mom

Fri, Nov 18 2016, 12:59 am

The pilgrims at Plymouth Rock had a very "Jewish" Thanksgiving. They recited תהילים קז, which is one of thanks (in Israel today, it is said on Yom Ha'atzmaut) and, because they had books by one Henry Ainsworth, a Hebraic scholar, whose notes on Tehillim קז include a reference to the Rambam requiring ברכת הגומל, the Puritans also said a prayer of thanksgiving.

essie14

Fri, Nov 18 2016, 1:17 am

I make a turkey for Friday night dinner and we have all the traditional sides and pumpkin pie. The kids like to say what they are thankful for but we also do that on rosh hashanah.

rfeig613

Fri, Nov 18 2016, 8:39 am

Absolutely. As a patriotic American, I see it as a way to express hakoras hatov to this country, and I see it as a way to be reminded of what we do everyday, which is to give thanks to HaShem for all we have.

rfeig613

Fri, Nov 18 2016, 8:50 am

This year, I'm making Thanksgiving. It's not a hard menu for me. I throw the bird in early in the morning, and all I really have to throw together are mashed potatoes with fried onions, candied sweet potatoes (I take canned sweet potatoes, and mix with maple syrup, margarine, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and top with little vegan marshmallows), gravy (I take the drippings from the bird, add Manischewitz turkey stock and mushrooms, and thicken with corn starch), and stuffing (I take challah, cornbread, and rye, and I add sauteed onion, celery, garlic, parsley, sage, thyme, and rosemary, poultry seasoning, green apple, chicken stock, egg, salt, pepper, a tad of nutritional yeast, and good veal sausage from Glatt Mart). The actual cooking time for me is fairly minimal.

Thanksgiving leftovers will be used during the week. I make turkey soup usually with the leftovers. I agree that it's not nice to have leftovers on shabbos, so I throw a chicken in the oven and usually get takeout.

PinkFridge

Fri, Nov 18 2016, 10:29 am

Not in the full turkey meal sense. My father never liked to eat fleishig on a Thursday if it wasn't a simcha or yom tov, and it's not like this was the best opportunity to do a big family thing. I fully appreciate how families can use this opportunity to get together (especially when frum relatives can host those who aren't - win win, IMO).

I do take time to reflect on my gratitude to this country when I say Modim.

SixOfWands

Fri, Nov 18 2016, 10:44 am

saw50st8 wrote:

Yes, we love thanksgiving!

We do as well.

I love the idea of all Americans celebrating. I love the fact that people can drive to us, meaning I'm not stuck figuring out where to put up disabled relatives, or reminding my non-frum father not to turn on the TV in front of the kids. Looking forward to it, even with all the cooking.

rfeig613

Fri, Nov 18 2016, 10:47 am

Thanksgiving and the 4th of July are holidays in which we can truly feel part of our wonderful nation. These holidays celebrate American values that transcend any religious differences. Giving thanks to G-d and expressing hope for the welfare of the state are very Jewish ideas.