The second Monday in October is Canadian Thanksgiving. I have failed to recognise in previous years how important this is to Canadians, mostly because they have always and denied and downplayed its importance to me. Melody and I married on October 12th 2002, the following Monday 14th was Thanksgiving. I asked very carefully if having our wedding at Thanksgiving was an interruption or not. "No of course not, people will be able to travel as it is a long weekend, it is a really good idea to have it then." Now, simple Aussie that I am, I know through American tv shows that American Thanksgiving is really important, but it came across to me that Canadian Thanksgiving was not. The following year when Melody and I went away for our anniversary, I got in a lot of trouble with the relatives for not being around for the Thanksgiving celebration. "Sorry, but I DID ask, and I was told no, it is not important, it's too late now and our anniversary takes precedence," was my response.
Last year, on Thanksgiving Monday, Melody told me that she would like to make pumpkin pie as it was Thanksgiving. I searched everywhere for a pumpkin and was sadly unsuccessful. I later found one that we froze and saved for Christmas, but Melody was really sad and disappointed that she missed out on Thanksgiving althogether. Once again, she denied that it was that important, but I had learnt my lesson. I've learnt to get around the self effacing politeness of Canadians and am getting better at seeing through these acts of polite cover up.
That is why it was really special this year, that as we have moved to Krasnoyarsk, we have discovered that three other Canadians live here, and we were invited to a Thanksgiving meal yesterday. There was James from Red Lake, Ontario (the northern route through Kapuskasing); Renata from Abbotsford, BC; Jamie from Toronto (Toronna, USA) and Melody from Borden, Saskatchewan; plus two Americans and one two Australians. (Abigail is also Canadian, I know).
In other news, we had our first snow fall for the year last night. Can't say I am particularly excited, but when it comes en masse it is pretty. This week I am trying to get things sorted out with the University and hope to meet the head teacher tomorrow. We do not have any internet at home yet, so please continue to be patient while we settle in.
10 comments:
Happy Thanksgiving and happy anniversary and welcome back to K!
Martin and I were in Ontario coming up to the holiday and gathered invitations daily. No one wanted to see us alone or lonely on Thanksgiving. Actually we spent most of it driving to NB but I think Thanksgiving holiday in Canada is a community holiday rather than a family one and it doesnt much matter who you spend it with or what you do but you should either gather in the strays for the holiday or be gathered in! Hospitality and communuity is big. so it would be a easier holiday to have blindside you with an alone feeling when not celebrating. Our family often did the apple trip during this weekend and often were invited to virtual stangers celebrations. Even the restaraunts serve turkey and pumpkin pie specials. Your celebration this year looked like a lot of fun.
Hope your 5th Anniversary is happy and peaceful and that you feel the master's presence. Thankful for the end of Brucellosis. Our input into your journey is successful and we are Thankful. We had Mel's siblings here this year and played football at Evie's , had turkey too,and played Blitz
You're exactly right, Mom.
Dan said on the Saturday, he was helping his friend Mark build his house, and when suppertime rolled around, Mark said "we're going out to the farm for Thanksgiving supper, are you coming?" and when he got there, there were about 15 people, at least 4 of which weren't family.
Up at the farm, the meal itself wasn't the event at all. We literally put the pots on the table with a stack of plates and everyone served themselves and found a spot to eat. The event was the football game and the card games together. And there were also numerous random people there: Amber's old roommate Joanna and her sister and uncle, Mark's friend Samantha (don't know what's going on there, by the way!), Hannah, Donna & Larry Coe stopped by, Jocelyn (Everett Bloom's old caregiver), etc., etc.,
Also, I found myself complaining that I had been abandoned by my family because mom and dad weren't there. But, I wasn't actually lonely because I was with people. So I guess there is an expectation that you will be with people, but it doesn't necessarily matter who they are. (You've been replaced, mom!)
gotta love the way Vangie starts her comments. And I have it in writing!
I am irreplacable but you can have a lot of fun without me....
I did check to make sure all my kids in Canada were doing something on thanksgiving and would have felt guilty for abandoning them if they hadnt found anywhere else to go.
Actually I think Paula would say Sam(Samantha) is Konrad's friend.
she graduated from high school with Karrie. Every time I saw her she was with Konrad lol.Anyway she is a very nice c-friend, going to university in Edmonton and lonely at thanksgiving.Jocelyn was so happy to be with us too. Paula went and got her out of Lloyd Sat. and took her back Sun.
Thanks Mom for your perspective. I don't doubt the validity of what you are saying to a point. But, surely you would have rather spent Thanksgiving with your family right? Before coming to Canada, I did not even know that there was such a thing as Canadian Thanksgiving, since we do not have one in Australia.
I wonder why then, I did get in such trouble, when Melody and I were not at Thanksgiving at the farm on our first anniversary. Considering that holidays are hard to do in Russia, if we ever happen to be in Canada on Thanksgiving weekend, and it falls on our anniversary, you can be guaranteed that we will leave the kids with you, and disappear by ourselves! Melody hates it when I think up hypothetical scenarios (sorry Melody).
The funny thing is, one of the couples there- Paul and Jamie; told us that they can never go away for their anniversary when they are in North America, as it clashes with Christmas. They got married on December 29th. At least I know that Christmas is important!!!
That is too bad for you that Australia doesn't have Thanksgiving. It is one of the primary holidays to focus on close relationships and sharing. I sympathize with your feelings (I feel I can understand -after all my anniversary is only two days after yours and has fallen on thanksgiving) Although family is important I have spent several thanksgivings away and agree with Janice that "not being alone is more important". In fact my oldest child this year stated that having someone over was important. So I caution hypothesizing too far ahead. I have found desisions and priorities adjust to include the feelings of my children and my spouse. So consider your position positive. You don't have to figure out how to value 2 extended families and your anniversary all in the same weekend. You just need to figure out what is important to Mel and enable her to share that with Abigail. Even if you don't get it!
Well I don't consider it "too bad" that we do not have Thanksgiving in Australia, it is just not a part of a culture. It would be hard for you living there though.
I have just been explaining my lesson in *understanding* Canadian Thanksgiving. I have learnt more after peoples comments, although draw some slightly different conclusions in combination with my observations.
Anway, I consider myself the richer for having more cultures as part of my life.
It was too bad that we had our celebration cut short after three hours and did not have time for games.
While the discussion about Thanksgiving is probably complete, with Halloween coming up this week I thought I'd comment about how the two appear to be being celebrated, or not celebrated in the community at large.
While friends at church and family put a priority on getting together and sharing a meal at Thanksgiving with a real sense of thankfulness to our Creator who has given us the harvest, it is my observation that within the community and those that I know through work, that Halloween is becoming a bigger deal all the time. When we were kids it was a case of dressing up and going out to the neighbours to collect goodies. Though to be honest, the only place I remember doing this was when we lived in Apex Hill near Iqaluit when I was 8 - 10 years old. Now I see many of the houses near us with many, many Halloween decorations: Caution tape, pretend cobwebs, huge scarecrows, pretend tombstones. . . Most young adults will have gone to Halloween parties this weekend (the day itself is on Wed which is when the little ones will get dressed up for their trick or treating, but the adult parties are always on a weekend) where they will have dressed up, set off fireworks, got drunk and got into various kinds of mischief. One night a few years ago this included a few teens/early 20's rolling huge pumpkins off the back of a truck all over the gas station lot and I had to heave the pieces of smashed pumpkin out of the way so that cars could even get to the pumps to gas up! The other night when Wendy and I were watching the news there was reference made to how much is now spent by the average household for Halloween. I forget how much it was, but it was astounding - almost as much as is spent by the average household in Canada for Christmas! This was not only for the costumes and the goodies handed out at the door, but also the food and alcohol for the parties that many adults are involved in. The quip was made that many will soon be looking for Halloween to become a statutory holiday. The world has not time and does not recognise our Creator to give Him Thanks, but they have plenty of time and money to dabble with the "fun" the enemy wants to use to ensnare them.
Heather
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