by Susan Palmes-Dennis
I WROTE last year about how Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in the US and how it became a national holiday. This year’s holiday falls on the 27th, the last Thursday of November.
Thanksgiving Day is like Christmas and New Year rolled into one, when people would cook their best dishes and share their blessings with the family and their friends.
This tradition had been handed down for many generations after the first Thanksgiving Day celebrated by the Pilgrims on the first harvest in the New World in 1621.
It is just like how we celebrate fiestas in the Philippines where we have the “anti anti” that is the second day before the fiesta and the bisperas (eve of the fiesta).
According to American history, Thanksgiving before lasted three days and it was attended by 90 native Americans and 53 Pilgrims. Since then it has become a federal and national holiday.
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| Conception Palonpon Auman preparing Thanksgiving dinner |
The past five years I've been going with Ronnie transferring from one home to another, sharing and partaking of their blessings.
As you know it's best to celebrate blessings and joys with others since it would only be Ron and me at home. I thank all for the invitations by the way.
This year I asked other friends to share their stories on how they celebrate Thanksgiving.
Some are funny and serious; stories that deal on how they cook the bird (turkey) to the use of the best silverware as well as maintaining a good working relashionship with employers and many others.
Lynn Lorenzo-Polk who has been here in the US for close to four decades recounted how she invited her future husband Jim and his family over for Thanksgiving.
“I never cooked a turkey before this event. This would be the first time meeting his family and everything was going to be perfect. I put that bird in the oven and an hour later, I smelled something burning and the bird caught on fire and I threw everything, pan and all, in the backyard. Talk about being embarrassed! We didn't have a turkey that day and no one will ever have one in the Lorenzo-Polk household,” she said.
Of course it doesn't mean that she no longer wanted a turkey dinner. But Lynn, a former president of the Fil-American Community of the Carolinas (FACC), would prefer that someone else cook it than her.
She also said the Polk family have no rituals except that every family take turns having Thanksgiving dinner in their houses.
“Before dinner, everybody would hold hands and say what they are thankful for,” Lynn said.
Dr. Michael “Mike” Borja, incumbent FACC first vice president, said Thanksgiving is that time to reflect on the past events of one's life, “to remember the good things we have which we were brought by the people who help us.”
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| The Weaver family |
Thankful
The soft-spoken Borja, a pediatrician, said Thanksgiving Day can be celebrated with either a feast or a simple dinner with loved ones. Dr. Stella Lawsin remembered how her family celebrated Thanksgiving.
“I remembered the Thanksgiving Day we had in our home a few weeks after I gave birth to my daughter eight years ago. My husband's entire family came to visit to see the baby. We used our formal wedding china and silverware for the first time. After dinner, we all played volleyball at the neighborhood clubhouse as an excuse to eat more food afterward,” she said.
From my friend Belen Alde of New Jersey who came from barangay Tiring in Cabatuan town, Iloilo province to the US in 1993, Thanksgiving Day is something she and her family celebrates every day.
“When I got here in the US, I worked as a nanny for a New York City family for 15 years. I raised their two children from birth until their eldest was 15 and the youngest was 12. I had a very good working relationship with the family. They treated me like family with love and high respect. It broke my heart when I left them but I had to move on. I still kept in touch with them after I got my second nanny job. God is great and He takes care of me that's why I am always thankful,” Belen said.
Carllyn Francisco Ave said “Thanksgiving is a daily state of mind and heart due to Jesus Christ’s unfailing, overwhelming, eternal love to me. Each day is a gift to bring Him glory and honor.”
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| The Weaver boys |
Happy times
Originally from Valenzuela, Metro Manila, Carllyn went to the US 17 years ago and is now happily married with JP Ave, FACC first vice president in 2013.
Another friend Evelyn Paza, the former manager of the Philippine Information Office (PIA) in Cagayan de Oro City in Misamis Oriental, northern Mindanao in the Philippines, said she can't celebrate Thanksgiving Day because she's always asked to work on that date in New York.
At least Syvel Labajo Weaver, a former native of Butuan City can celebrate the holiday with her family.
“I received a quick education on Thanksgiving Day from my husband and his family because I arrived in the US in November of 2007. My husband's birthday is November 25th and my mother-in-law is November 23rd so their birthdays fall on Thanksgiving Day every 7-8 years,” she said.
“They have always considered Thanksgiving Day one of the most important holidays. In our house, Thanksgiving Day is a time for family, a time to thank God for all he has given us and to rejoice on what we have, not what we want. It is a time to laugh together as a family, eat a good meal and think back in all the happy times in our lives,” Syvel said.
Favorite day
Syvel works at home, tending to her business on distributing Royale beauty and health products. Yet another Fil-Am, Concepcion Palonpon Auman said she celebrates Thanksgiving Day the traditional way.
“Of course besides feasting I remember to express my gratitude for the blessings in my life. Thanksgiving Day means being grateful and thankful since it opens the door for more blessings to flow into your life.”
Concepcion, originally from Masbate, said she came to the US 20 years ago. She said Thanksgiving Day is her favorite day because almost all Americans and Canadians celebrate it.”
“My children are always waiting for this once a year. I don't like turkey but I eat a lot of food and that's something to be thankful for.”
There is still a lot of stories to tell so stay tuned. I'll also write about the annual Black Friday event in my next blog post.
For now let me end this blog post with words from one of my favorite authors Nicholas Sparks who wrote on his book The Longest Ride: “As hard as life can be and despite all regrets there have been moments when you felt truly blessed.”
Advance Happy Thanksgiving Day to all!
(Susan Palmes-Dennis is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines who worked as a nanny and is now employed as a sub-teacher and a part-time teacher assistant in one of the school systems in the Carolinas.
Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com and at http://www.blogher.com/myprofile/spdennis54. These and other articles also appear at http://www.sunstar.com.ph/author/2582/susan-palmes-dennis.
You can also connect with her through her Pinterest account at http://www.pinterest.com/pin/41025046580074350/) and https://www.facebook.com/pages/Straight-from-the-Carolinas-/494156950678063)
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