Thursday, November 23, 2006

Thanksgiving thoughts from a liberal vegetarian

WARNING: If you are traditional or conservative, STOP reading here- this post may will annoy you!

This will be my 15th Thanksgiving without eating turkey and my daughter's 8th Thanksgiving without turkey (she's been a vegetarian since birth). Since we're here in Smalltown without any family to get together with (or friends for that matter), we have come up with our own Thanksgiving traditions. My husband is not American, so he has no cravings for turkey and stuffing- or even eating a special dinner today. I like to use it as an excuse to try out new recipes and cook things that I wouldn't usually do on regular days. Last year, we started a new tradition of going to the movies, too. However, I have generally mixed feelings about Thanksgiving on so many levels. From the food standpoint, it's hard for me to get excited about foods that I don't eat any more and how the entire holiday is centered around a dead bird. I'm starting to get tired of people complaining about their relatives, too. I have my own complaints about my relatives, but when they're too far away to see on holidays, I start to appreciate the times I lived closer to them. I am also saddened by the history connected with Thanksgiving: we (colonial settlers) celebrating the indigenous people's helping us to survive here, then essentially exterminating them over the next couple of centuries. I know I wouldn't be here if this history hadn't occurred, but it still makes me sad when I think about the people who lived here for thousands of years, but are now gone. I also know that I am so far out of the American mainstream that most of you will likely disagree with me, but I just felt like sharing my thoughts on the subject.

I hope everyone enjoys their day- you can think of me eating dishes made from "New World" ingredients like quinoa, beans, vegetables and cornmeal with apple crisp for dessert- we're going vegan this Thanksgiving thanks to recipes from Nava Atlas and Jennifer McCann. btw- if you haven't seen it, watch The Meatrix and buy organic, free range meat (if you must eat it)!

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6 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful idea. Don't make it too original though; you could get hurt!

http://islandphilosophy.blogspot.com/

Inside the Philosophy Factory said...

I had students use the Meatrix as part of a presentation a few years ago... it was great.

I do think that the Thanksgiving holiday should be more centered around thanks than history. You can make it so with your own traditions. When we lived far away from family, I found it easier to make our own traditions... or, at least to customize them to suit ourselves.

Seeking Solace said...

Having your own traditions is what Thanksgiving should be about. Enjoy yourself!!!!

Addy N. said...

Thanks for the supportive words, everyone! I hope you had a great day, too!

Anonymous said...

i agree, thanksgiving is such a crock.

yay you for rebelling!

Dr. Brazen Hussy said...

I agree with you on the history part; it makes me sad too. I admit, I love eating dead animals, and I do like the traditional Thanksgiving foods, but your new tradition sounds lovely.