I now have to make a distinction between Thanksgiving…Thanksgivings.
There is Canadian Thanksgiving, in October, and US Thanksgiving at the more normal time of the fourth Thursday of November. The five weeks of November is throwing me off a bit this year, though. And so is not being home. Come to think of it, this will only be the second time I have not been home for Thanksgiving.
While Thanksgiving isn’t a big important holiday for my family, compared to Christmas, it is still a time to gather and catchup, share a meal and watch football. Back home, it’s the start of the holiday season. There’s the Magnificent Mile Parade down Michigan Avenue. As the floats pass, the trees light up and that festive atmosphere is born. The weather turns chilly, if not down right cold, and everyone stops for a moment to reflect on the year and give thanks before the rush of Black Friday and holiday shopping.
It’s weird not experiencing that this year. I’m still flummoxed by seeing boats in the harbor. In November! And leaves still on trees and weather that is more like spring. The kind of weather you appreciate in Chicago in April and May. And since Canada had its Thanksgiving way back in October, there isn’t a festival of lights parade to kick off the holiday season. Or at least not that I’m aware. Such a thing is so ingrained to being connected to Thanksgiving for me I find it hard to think of any kind of lights festival happening up here before December 1.
And then there’s issue of Thanksgiving Day itself. Luckily, a couple close friends of mine recently moved to Washington State, right along a stop on the Amtrak Cascade Line. So I’ve booked some time off, booked a ticket and set off on another new experience.
Like my birthday, perhaps this is the start of a new tradition in this other country I might (might) just call home. For the next two years anyway. 😉