Thank you for sharing this. 12 years ago, I experienced my first Thanksgiving as well, graciously invited by an American friend to their home. I recall watching football, not knowing the rules, and movies I didn’t quite understand. Probably only immigrants can truly grasp the weight of your story.
Living in Scotland here, so not the Thanksgiving but Christmas. It's become a celebration with friends/flatmates as well. Found a distant relative apparently living in England so I'd probably go there for Christmas. It came to me with a sombre realisation that I'd be feeling rootless at times as I decided to move abroad for post-grad study and now work, but now that I live alone I invite friends over for meals because I know how it feels to be lonely.
Thank you for sharing such a beautifully evocative and personal story. I was international student before so I can relate with what you have said. It's heartwarming to see how you and your husband have turned Thanksgiving into a celebration of friendship, resilience, and the joy of creating your own traditions. The Friendsgiving gatherings and the second feast with fresh seafood sound like wonderful ways to create a sense of family and belonging, even when miles away from your roots.
I found it interesting to observe US Thanksgiving and I'm from Canada! We do it much differently up here and it's in October. It does not signal the start of the holidaze, it is Thanksgiving on its own. When I was a student in the US it was surprising how much of the holiday was not the same as ours, or perhaps it was that it felt different because I was not at home.
Thank you, Donna for your comment and for sharing your US thanksgiving experiences. I love that the Canadian Thanksgiving purely focuses on thanksgiving on its own, rather than a preamble to the holiday season that dilutes the significance of thanksgiving as its own holiday.
Now that I have a kid in college, I always wonder where the international students go during the short Thanksgiving break. Thank you for this essay! And this is truly the best of America—that we can adopt American culture, but also make it our own.
Thank you, Jenna! One thing I didn't mention is that there are more and more universities now that run a one-off host family program for the Thanksgiving break where staff, faculty and community members can sign up to host international students for the Thanksgiving dinner. I wish something like that had existed when I was a student.
Thank you for sharing this. 12 years ago, I experienced my first Thanksgiving as well, graciously invited by an American friend to their home. I recall watching football, not knowing the rules, and movies I didn’t quite understand. Probably only immigrants can truly grasp the weight of your story.
Living in Scotland here, so not the Thanksgiving but Christmas. It's become a celebration with friends/flatmates as well. Found a distant relative apparently living in England so I'd probably go there for Christmas. It came to me with a sombre realisation that I'd be feeling rootless at times as I decided to move abroad for post-grad study and now work, but now that I live alone I invite friends over for meals because I know how it feels to be lonely.
Sekar, thank you for sharing your experiences. Kudos to you for being the host and creating community for your friends!
Wow. Everything looks good, especially the fish. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you! We've fine tuned our menu over the years!
Looks like you have created some great traditions!
Every year has been a bit different, but we look forward to it every year now!
Thank you for sharing such a beautifully evocative and personal story. I was international student before so I can relate with what you have said. It's heartwarming to see how you and your husband have turned Thanksgiving into a celebration of friendship, resilience, and the joy of creating your own traditions. The Friendsgiving gatherings and the second feast with fresh seafood sound like wonderful ways to create a sense of family and belonging, even when miles away from your roots.
Thank you, Winston. I'd love to hear more of your stories when you were an international student in you writing!
I found it interesting to observe US Thanksgiving and I'm from Canada! We do it much differently up here and it's in October. It does not signal the start of the holidaze, it is Thanksgiving on its own. When I was a student in the US it was surprising how much of the holiday was not the same as ours, or perhaps it was that it felt different because I was not at home.
Good job creating your own traditions!
Thank you, Donna for your comment and for sharing your US thanksgiving experiences. I love that the Canadian Thanksgiving purely focuses on thanksgiving on its own, rather than a preamble to the holiday season that dilutes the significance of thanksgiving as its own holiday.
Now that I have a kid in college, I always wonder where the international students go during the short Thanksgiving break. Thank you for this essay! And this is truly the best of America—that we can adopt American culture, but also make it our own.
Thank you, Jenna! One thing I didn't mention is that there are more and more universities now that run a one-off host family program for the Thanksgiving break where staff, faculty and community members can sign up to host international students for the Thanksgiving dinner. I wish something like that had existed when I was a student.
Oh, that's wonderful!