Living in Vigo has not only taught me Spanish culture, but also traditions from other countries. This week I attended my first ever Thanksgiving meal and learnt the importance of giving thanks and that it’s ok to mix potatoes with marshmallows. So being in Spain, I never thought I’d be celebrating Thanksgiving, an American holiday. Yet, living with one American and with many other Americans living in Vigo, who would miss out on an opportunity to join in the merriment? Not me. In fact in the space of two days I went to not only one but two Thanksgiving meals… Mum please don’t worry, fair to say I have eaten well this week. Round one of my Thanksgiving meals was on Thursday at the house of our friend Melody, from California. She lives with a Spanish family who went to Portugal to buy the turkey and damn was it good! We ate mostly traditional American dishes including green bean casserole and my new favourite sweet potato mash topped with marshmallows. Weird as its sounds, it was delicious, so don’t knock it before you’ve tried it.
New fact I’ve learnt: Americans love sugar!
We also had some more Spanish dishes including a giant Galician empanada, a bit like a pasty which is filled with peppers and onions with either meat or fish. In true Thanksgiving style there were even empanadas filled with sweet potato, turkey and cranberries!
Happy Friendsgiving!
For my second thanksgiving, I knew what was what. We watched some of the Macy’s parade which included numbers from Broadway musicals and what seemed like hundreds of cheerleaders… you can’t get more American than that! Then for food! All made from scratch we were spoilt for choice; delicious apple pie, pumpkin pie, seconds were had by all.
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
As the night went on and the sangria kept flowing, we all went around the table saying what we were thankful for. I like the idea of celebrating together without the pressure of presents that Christmas has. Thanksgiving is all about appreciating three things: family, friends and food. I am truly thankful for all my new friends who have made my first two months here so great. To the Americans among us, I especially thank them for sharing a holiday that is so special when they are so far away from their families in the States. And who knows, maybe I’ll start to celebrate Thanksgiving every year!
Photo credits: www.astercafe.com, www.pinterest.com