Thanksgiving Traditions

[GoetzManor]

Just as the title states: do you have any Thanksgiving traditions or anything unique to maybe your family or heritage? Any specific or unusual foods that are served at the table?

Up until last year, we spent every Thanksgiving at my aunt's "homestead at the edge of the city." She would make everything from scratch and the kids would take turns shaking the mason jars to make the butter.

It was always a fun time, especially in my adult years when my grandfather would bust out the bottle of Jameson, because that was the "Catholic" whiskey while Bush Mills was "that Protestant drink." Overall, nothing was too unusual menu wise.

Just curious to see how everyone celebrates the day.

 

[Edward]

It was always a fun time, especially in my adult years when my grandfather would bust out the bottle of Jameson, because that was the "Catholic" whiskey while Bush Mills was "that Protestant drink." Overall, nothing was too unusual menu wise.

Heh, being Irish, I've known a few people over the years who made that distinction (usually in the other direction, though).

I'm not sure who owns Jamesons nowadays. As of 2014, though, the Bushmills distillery is owned by Casa Cuevro, a Mexican company. I'll leave it to you to speculate as to what that entails for its theological leanings!

If you ever make it to the Emerald Isle, both are worth a visit for the tour. As memory serves, Jamesons are slightly more generous in terms of the samples and the end-of-tour drink is arranged as a tasting session rather than just a thrown-in drink. Bushmills, however, is still in the working distillery, whereas the Dublin city-centre Jamesons place where they do the tour is effectively now 'only' a musuem and visitor centre in the main, with the real production done out of town. Both great to see.

Bushmills also can be done in the right season as part of a one-ticket daytrip, which includes a run on the local narrow-gauge railway to the Giants' Causeway, and a tour thereof.

Sorry for the diversion....

 

[Fifty150]

I will cook a bunch of food. Whatever is around. Crab. Turkey. Beef. Sweet potato. Stuffing. Sticky rice. Macaroni and cheese. Beans. Always at random. Other people will bring other things.

Then leave town.

A lot of people have the keys. They come. They eat. They drink. They pass out. They have an orgy.

I hear the stories later. In the old days, there were Polaroids.

 

[tonyb]

“Planes, Trains, & Automobiles.”

Thirty-five years is creeping up on “tradition“ territory. Close enough for me.

I don’t know that it will have the holiday-specific legs of, say, “It’s a Wonderful Life“ at Christmastime. But I wouldn’t bet against it.

 

[Fifty150]

That's right up there with 2 of the best X-Mas movies of all time.

Lethal Weapon 1987

Die Hard 1988

 

[Julian Shellhammer]

Not unique, but perhaps scarcer than it was a while back. We gather as many of the family from all generations as we can, and invite those individuals and families who are not able to travel to be with their families. I almost always cook the turkey and make the dressing, while green bean casseroles, rolls, sweet potatoes, and so on, are brought by friends and family. This year my daughter riced the potatoes before "mashing" and a new tradition was born.

Some years we go around the table and share what we are thankful for, and some years we don't.

Between dinner and dessert we take the whole assemblage on a walk around the neighborhood. We decided to forgo this due to inclement weather.

 

[Edward]

That's right up there with 2 of the best X-Mas movies of all time.

Lethal Weapon 1987

Die Hard 1988

I'm always amused that Die Hard has become viewed as a Christmas classic. It's original UK release was in November - but in the US, it hit cinemas the previous July. I know it's set at Christmas, but it's amusing to think of people in July watching it in the cinema as a "Christmas film".

When it comes to "films set at Christmas", I personally prefer the original Gremlins, which wove Christmas more fully into the plot. Not least a shining example of the 'man dies in Chimney trying to be Santa for family' urban myth.

 

[FOXTROT LAMONT]

I've chosen Alistair Sim as my definite Scrooge. Scott relegated a close duel second.
Sometime today will sit myself down with a Johnnie Walker black with ice, cheese log, rye bread.
Tomorrow is Scott and a splash of red, neat, more cheese and rye. And a generous Elizabeth Browning
read before a must Julie Christie Bathsheba in Hardy's Mad Crowd. The soldier suitor's swordplay with
claymore recalls Aldershot regimental drumhead. Merry Christmas to all.