Since we live across the ocean from our families, I find it difficult this time of year. Thanksgiving and Christmas are very much family holidays, but we don’t have any extended family near by with whom we can celebrate. Thanksgiving always comes and goes, and I’m a little jealous of my friends in the US who get a 4-day weekend and get to see their families and graze on turkey and all the trimmings all day (or weekend) long.
Our Thanksgivings are different in England. First of all, all the stores are still open, although you can’t run to the store when you mess up your pumpkin pie! Everyone still has to go to work so Thanksgiving dinner has to be in the evening. There’s no Thanksgiving Day parade or American football, either. And until this year, there were no Black Friday Sales.
But as life has taught us, we have to make the best of it. Last year, we hosted a Thanksgiving meal with our life group, and we got to do the same this year! We crammed 2 dozen people into our home, ate some American-style food, learned the history of Thanksgiving and had lovely fellowship. It was a blessing to share one of the best American traditions with our church family!
