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Thanksgiving Traditions in the USA and Around the World

Thanksgiving is generally known to be an American holiday. However, there are a few other destinations that celebrate the “Thanksgiving” Holiday and enjoy a few of the traditional dishes as well. Here is one of those places:

London, England

Life as an expat in the UK has heavily influenced and impacted my Thanksgiving Traditions, over the course of the last eight years. To start with I celebrate Thanksgiving on the weekend before since we don’t get the day off in the UK. 

Thanksgiving Traditions for me include cooking a feast in a too-small kitchen. Serving on a too-small table, and using a bed as a couch for extra seating. Cramming anywhere from 8 to 11 friends into my tiny London apartment. Those who sat too close to the window would freeze. And those who sat too close to the kitchen would sweat. Many were forced to sit on the bed (as an extra couch) in the studio apartment. 

I would cook all the American classics and would delegate side dishes to a few trusted individuals. (Usually friends who had lived in the US and experienced Thanksgiving previously). Amusingly I didn’t grow up having the American classics on my  Thanksgiving table in the US. So my first ever Sweet Potato Casserole was made on British soil, not American. Whenever we’d have a new guest at the table all the regulars would wait and watch as they tried some of the more unusual dishes. Sweet potato casserole, buttermilk biscuits, and pumpkin pie always had unusual responses.

My guests very rarely included an American and included many nationalities – including British, French, Polish, Romanian, and Greek. Friends book their calendars a year in advance and at times we’ve even had a waiting list to attend. 

Before eating, we go around the table and everyone must say what they are thankful for. One of my favourite parts of the Thanksgiving tradition. Because that’s what the meal is about.

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Ireland

Ever since returning from Ireland. Where I took a traditional Irish baking class, I find myself making a soda bread any chance I get. I love being able to bring a piece of Irish tradition into my home in the United States. It makes a great gift or dish to bring to family and friends. One year I decided to make a special Thanksgiving inspired version of my soda bread. It has become a tradition ever since.

Traditional Irish soda bread is very simple, containing very few ingredients. I’ve Americanized this recipe to make it a sweet tasting bread. I add butter and sugar to give it a bit more of a cake like texture, but the real secret ingredient is the added cranberries. I am also sure to top the bread with butter and sugar as well after it is baked. The rustic look of the freshly baked bread loaf looks perfect on the Thanksgiving dinner table, and it goes really well with some added butter and/or cranberry sauce. I think it’s a perfect mix of Irish and American traditions, and it has become a family tradition of mine that I will continue to bake for years to come.  

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New York City

In my family, we always watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade on TV while we’re cooking and completing day of preparations for our traditional Thanksgiving meal. In order to make this a little more interesting, my husband and I started a new Thanksgiving tradition the first year that we spent the holiday together. We research and make festive adult beverages to consume while the preparations ensue. After finding our absolute favorite (boozy pumpkin cups) recipe our tradition morphed into somewhat of a game.

It’s almost like gambling every fall because we aren’t sure if we’ll be able to make our coveted favorite boozy pumpkin cups. One of the key ingredients in this recipe is the limited edition pumpkin spice flavored pudding made by Jello. This type of Jello pudding sells out really fast in stores. I have been able to find it on Amazon (because what isn’t on Amazon?) but I absolutely refuse to spend the crazy amount of money it’s offered for.

So, in addition to actually making and consuming these delicious boozy pumpkin cups there is an added layer of making it a fun game leading up to Thanksgiving if we can find the coveted Jello to make and enjoy our favorite festive boozy cups. If we are unsuccessful in our endeavors (like we were last year- insert sad face) we improvise. Thanksgiving 2020 was the year of bloody mary’s with all of the fixings. May the odds be in our favor for 2021! 

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Thank you for reading!

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