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I didn’t realize how important Thanksgiving was to my child. Yes, I remember his story, his drawing from last year—“Pierre’s First Thanksgiving in Spain.” The turkey was so important—so prominent.
Pierre seemed to be a sentimental like me, his mother. Traditions, rituals, and keeping our family’s culture alive was important to him.
He’d heard me talk about it, write about it. Of course, he believed it!
Sudden Change of Plans
On Thanksgiving Eve, I had a wild idea! That afternoon, we had plans to go to the grocery store to buy a whole turkey, potatoes, carrots, green beens, squash, rolls, and apples for pie. We would be spending a lot of money on groceries, and the next day, we would spending a lot of time in the kitchen cooking.
We had tried to invite several families over to share the big meal with us, but with the COVID restrictions on gatherings of more than six people . . . we weren’t getting many takers on our invitation.
“What if tomorrow we relaxed all day with the kids at home, decorated the house for Christmas, and then went out to dinner with some friends for drinks and Spanish tapas?” I suggested to Vincent as we prepared to head out the door to the grocery store.
After all, we were living in Spain, so having a Spanish Thanksgiving meal seemed culturally appropriate!
Vincent thought that sounded like a great idea, so we contacted some friends who immediately jumped on board to go out to dinner with us.
Throwing Traditions Out the Window
Throughout all our years living abroad, I have always tried to guard and keep our family’s cultural traditions—especially with holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. It was important for us and for our kids, providing safety, stability, and fun memories.
Perhaps I should consult with them about my new Thanksgiving idea.
I asked Timothee, age 22. He was happy to go out to a tapas bar instead of staying cooped up in the house all evening. David, age 15, was happy too. His friends would be joining us for dinner, so they could actually gather at the same table in a public restaurant. I didn’t think to ask Pierre. I honestly didn’t think he’d care.
“Are we buying a big turkey?” he asked me as we headed into the grocery store that day.
I shared with him our sudden change of plans.
“No, I want a big turkey!” he complained. “No one goes out to eat for Thanksgiving. Everyone stays home to eat turkey and sweet potatoes!”
Sweet potatoes are Pierre’s favorite food.
My heart sank. It’s true that I didn’t talk to him about changing our family’s traditional Thanksgiving dinner plans.
The Wishbone
“I want to pull the wishbone in the turkey,” he continued.
“How about a chicken on Friday?” I suggested.
“Chickens don’t have wishbones!” he said. “I want a turkey!”
Guilt flooded me. I was always telling my children the importance of keeping our cultural and family traditions alive while living on the other side of the world. Now, I wasn’t keeping my own word.
My son was disappointed, and I felt terrible.
“Instead, we can decorate the house all day for Christmas!” I told him eagerly.
That did not appease him. My boy wanted a Thanksgiving turkey.
A Spanish Thanksgiving
On our way into town to meet our friends for dinner, Pierre pouted in the back seat of the car. “It doesn’t even feel like Thanksgiving,” he said.
“What makes you say that?” I asked.
“We are going out to eat tapas and not staying home to eat a turkey,” he explained.
“Let’s make tonight special, and we can eat a big turkey when Robert comes back home from England for Christmas,” I told him. “Thanksgiving is more than a turkey. Thanksgiving is about being thankful and grateful for all we have. Today, I am thankful we live in Spain, thankful we have friends to celebrate with, and thankful for yummy tapas to eat.
Thankfully, it didn’t take Pierre long to have fun with his friends, playing games at the table, eating mini cheeseburgers, drinking orange Fanta, throwing a foam football in the church square, and strolling through the cobblestone streets.
We were celebrating Thanksgiving Spanish style this year, and it was certainly relaxing and enjoyable. I actually had an attitude of gratitude, because I wasn’t so exhausted from cooking and cleaning all day to prepare for guests and a big meal.
When we left town and left our friends, I said, “How about a Thanksgiving treat to make tonight extra special?”
It was almost 11 p.m., and the only place open was Burger King. We didn’t mind. It felt very American—perfect for our American holiday. Vanilla ice cream cones, Fusions, caramel sundaes, and french fries . . . we were one happy American family living in Spain.
“Our Thanksgiving is special,” I said to Pierre as we walked back to the car that evening.
“Yep,” he said.
“Next year, I promise . . . we will make a big turkey on Thanksgiving,” I told him.
The next day, some American friends stopped by for a visit. They walked in carrying a plate full of leftover turkey, green beans, sweet potatoes, and cranberry sauce . . . all for Pierre.
They were like us, Americans living in Spain, but they had kept their Thanksgiving culture and traditions alive! Perhaps we will do the same next year, or perhaps not. Our new Thanksgiving tradition just might be eating Spanish tapas and going out for ice cream at Burger King!
—THE CULTURAL STORY-WEAVER
MY GIFT TO YOU—GET YOUR FREE EBOOK—“THE 5-DAY JOURNEY TO CULTURAL AWARENESS”!
LET’S WEAVE CULTURES!
What are your cultural and family Thanksgiving traditions (or other holiday traditions) that you try to keep alive no matter where you are and what you’re doing? What are the challenges you face with keeping them alive and consistent?
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.
