Thursday, November 27, 2014

"They celebrate Thanksgiving in Australia, right?"

This year, I'm saying "yep, and it's big there too" - after 6 years of getting shocked &/or dismayed reactions to "no, it's in the Southern hemisphere, so it's spring there, it's not harvest time (and the water really does go down the plug the other way), and Christmas is our big family occasion".* But unlike Halloween, Valentines Day and various other American holidays, Thanksgiving is a nice concept, as these old photos show. Being just 2 deg C outside with a wintry mix (rain/sleet/snow flurries) today, staying inside to eat and drink and watch the footy sounds like a good option. We would do well to add "Thanksgiving" to the NSW Public Holiday roster, perhaps some time in late May?
*Footnote: despite the obvious harvest and religious connotations, it was actually Abraham Lincoln who proclaimed TG as a public holiday, to give thanks for "the advantages and privileges of living in a democracy" such as the USA

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