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“They don’t have turkeys in Spain?!” my mother asked me in a text last November.
“I don’t think they do. I haven’t seen any. Someone told me that maybe I could find one at Costco, but that’s an hour away,” I replied.
I asked everyone I knew where I could find a turkey. It wasn’t even necessary to have a whole turkey. If I could find some turkey breasts or some turkey legs to cook in the oven, that would be just fine.
I just needed turkey!
Finding a Turkey in Spain?
In our Spanish lesson, I asked my language helper where I could find a turkey here in Spain.
She shook her head and said, “I don’t know. You could maybe buy some of the cooked turkey slices that you put on sandwiches.”
I looked at her and smiled.
“That’s not quite the same thing as cooking a giant bird in your oven on ‘Turkey Day.’”
How in the world was I going to keep my family’s Thanksgiving traditions alive?
Thanksgiving Traditions in Morocco
Even during all of our years living in Morocco—in North Africa, we could find turkeys for Thanksgiving.
Our first year, we chose a wild turkey (bibi beldi) from the field near our house. The man killed it and defeathered it for us. Well, we thought the turkey was defeathered.
Sitting majestically in the middle of our decorated dining room table, Mr. Turkey still had some feathers on him, and the meat . . . it was tough!! I mean TOUGH! It was not a moist and juicy Butterball turkey!
That was the first and last time we bought a wild turkey!
After that first Thanksgiving experience in Morocco, we decided that it would be easier to bake large turkey breasts in the oven. Accompanied with stuffing, green beans, mashed potatoes, creamed corn casserole, sweet potatoes, homemade rolls, and pumpkin pie, we didn’t need anything else.
We always managed to keep our American Thanksgiving traditions alive while living abroad.
Thanksgiving Traditions in France
Yes, even in France . . . it was surprising. I could find whole turkeys in several supermarkets. Turkeys seemed to be everywhere. I guess they knew there were Americans in their midst.
If I remember right, they weren’t huge turkeys. However, the size didn’t actually matter.
The turkey had become more symbolic than anything. It was a symbol that our family’s American culture and traditions were still alive.
We also had multiple Thanksgiving dinners—at church and at home with friends. It was always a huge celebration that we looked forward to every year.
Not the Same in Spain
Now, our family celebrates Thanksgiving in Spain. We always have a difficult time finding a whole turkey, but we usually manage to find something that once said “gobble, gobble.”
Turkey legs—it’s not quite the same, but it works.
And sometimes, we can’t find anyone to celebrate Thanksgiving with. Most of the Americans we know travel for the long weekend. (I don’t blame them a bit!) It can be kinda lonely.
Our Canadian friends celebrate Thanksgiving in October. Interestingly enough, most of them don’t even bother celebrating their holiday here. A few of them even forgot this year and were surprised when I wished them “Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!”
Just a “Normal” Day
It’s strange. It’s hard to keep your special family and cultural traditions alive when you live abroad, when the rest of the country is having a “normal” day.
On Thanksgiving day, Spanish schools are in session. Stores are open. Everyone is working and going about their regular, everyday business.
Thanksgiving is nothing special here in Spain.
Most people don’t know that it’s Thanksgiving. They do have a translation for it in Spanish, “Dia de Acćion des Gracias,” but many don’t understand the true meaning of this holiday.
This week, for example, I was invited over to the home of some Moroccan friends. I was trying to explain Thanksgiving to them—“L’Aid Choukra.” They had never heard of it. I showed them pictures of pilgrims and indians on my phone to help explain the origin of the holiday. It was a fun cultural lesson.
Today is just an ordinary day in Spain . . . for them . . . but not for us.
My Deep American Roots
I’m still an American. In fact, it’s on days like Thanksgiving when I feel VERY American. I can feel, smell, see, and taste my American roots deeply. On other days of the year, I don’t notice them as much.
On Thanksgiving, my American roots are still very much alive and real.
I guess it’s similar to how I felt on the 4th of July this year in Spain—my national holiday—my longing for fireworks, picnics, and family celebrations.
These are days when I really miss my home country and culture. These are days when I really miss my American family and friends.
A few years ago, I was with my mother and my extended family back in the U.S. for Thanksgiving. It was the first time in YEARS that we had spent Thanksgiving with my family on American soil. It was such a special day—cooking in the kitchen with my mother, eating until we were almost sick, relaxing by the fireplace, watching movies and American football games together . . .
I miss those Thanksgiving days.
Keeping Thanksgiving Traditions Alive!
We may not have a big turkey on the table, and we may not have pumpkin pie. However, today is Thanksgiving, and I’m determined to keep our family’s Thanksgiving traditions alive here in Spain.
We will go to the store, buy some turkey legs (if we can find them again!), spend hours in the kitchen making some of our family’s favorite dishes, enjoy a nice meal together, go around the table and tell each other what we are thankful to God for, put up the Christmas tree (my family’s Thanksgiving tradition since I was a little girl), take a nap, and watch “Charlie Brown’s Thanksgiving” on YouTube (if we can find it!).
After all, it’s not about what we eat, or if we have a big, fat turkey on the table, Thanksgiving is about giving thanks to God.
We have so much to be thankful for . . . family and friends . . . and life in Spain—even if we have a hard time finding turkeys in this country!
Happy Thanksgiving to you all—around the world!
—THE CULTURAL STORY-WEAVER
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What about you? Do you celebrate Thanksgiving? If so, what are your special family traditions? If you live in another country, what do you do to continue celebrating Thanksgiving and your other holidays while living overseas?
We invite you to tell us your own cultural stories and global adventures . . . as you engage with the world, breaking down barriers, building bridges, and “weaving cultures!” Write about them in the comment box below.
