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Thanksgiving and Beans and Corn and Pumpkins

by kate baggott on October 8th, 2007

Today is Thanksgiving in Canada. I am sitting in front of my computer in Germany, feeling just bereft of tradition and family ties. I blame frozen pizza.

Naturally, like many Canadians, I grew up celebrating with a huge feast. Often, we ate on the Sunday instead of the Monday if we were traveling to my grandparents house or to an aunt.

Yesterday, I wanted some of the tradition with my own children, even if we are so far away.

We spent yesterday on a happy family outing to Hessenpark, an open-air museum where houses and buildings from different eras have been re-constructed to show how people used to live in times past. This weekend featured a Harvest Festival and we watched, among other things, how apples are pressed to make apple juice, cider and the local favorite, apple wine.

Nothing makes my children happier than steam engines, farm animals and apple juice. Really, it’s a great combination.

It also made me think, though, of corn and beans and pumpkins. Canadian Thanksgiving is not about a feast between pilgrims and Native North Americans. It has a few other origins, but the most important one comes from a First Nations celebration in thanksgiving for the bounty of the three sisters: corn, beans and pumpkins. These three staples, cultivated so carefully, were quickly exported from the new world and their many varieties have saved so much of the human race from starvation. That is a huge legacy to consider when you think of Canadian Thanksgiving so far from home.

And then, after a long day out, we returned home to a dinner of frozen pizza. I just didn’t have time to prepare anything and everyone was crying out to be fed immediately.

A day at home to cook was just not an option and I have to teach tonight after my husband gets home from work, so there will be no Thanksgiving meal for us this year.

And, really, I don’t think it was missing out on the feast that bothered me. It was also knowing that yesterday, or this evening, my mother, my siblings, my brother-in-law, my niece and my nephew will all sit down together, grateful for each other’s company.

There are many pleasures of international life, it’s true. It has also been said that in this global economy, no one has a home. Well, I do have a home and my heart is there right now. I wish my little family could be there physically, with our bigger family, to enjoy the company of those we love the most, to break bread (or corn meal bread) and say; “I am thankful that you are part of my life.”

This post is brought to you by the letter B, beans and Blogtoberfest. To be entered to win the secret prize for today, leave a comment below by 11:59PM on Wednesday, October 10, 2007. In posts made today you will find other chances to win at Inside Fatherhood, Our One Heart, Play Library, Solo Mother and at Thrifty Mommy.

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21 opinions for Thanksgiving and Beans and Corn and Pumpkins

  • Summer
    Oct 8, 2007 at 7:09 am

    I’m sorry you are without family at this special time of year. We don’t live out of the country but our families are still thousands of miles from us and we spend Thanksgiving and Christmas without them every year.

  • Kate
    Oct 8, 2007 at 7:31 am

    Sucks, doesn’t it?

  • Michele
    Oct 8, 2007 at 8:33 am

    Although you didn’t have a feast, it sounds like you had a lovely day out with your family, thinking about traditions.

  • Kate
    Oct 8, 2007 at 9:55 am

    Thanks for reminding me of the positive, Michele.

  • Jennifer
    Oct 8, 2007 at 2:51 pm

    It seems every year we get further and further away from tradition. I remember huge Thanksgiving dinners and lots of people around, these days we are lucky to get anyone to the table.

  • Thrifty Karen
    Oct 8, 2007 at 5:11 pm

    I’m sure you all had a good time. The apples, cider, and such reminds me of living in Hendersonville, NC (home of the Apple Festival). That brings back good memories.

  • kbaggott
    Oct 8, 2007 at 11:03 pm

    Jennifer- Isn’t it sad?
    Karen- We did have a good time.

  • Cathy
    Oct 9, 2007 at 8:09 am

    Holidays and traditions can be whatever you want them to be. Maybe your new tradition is museums and frozen pizzas?

  • Cecilia
    Oct 9, 2007 at 11:01 am

    It’s hard living far away from your family, especially when you have little ones… Any talk about coming back to Canada again?

  • LeAnna
    Oct 9, 2007 at 11:43 am

    I liked this. Thanksgiving is such a huge family thing for me, since we always get together with all my mum’s family for a huge dinner, that I confess I was shocked when I asked my grandma about celebrating it when she was a kid growing up on a farm in Saskatchewan. She gave me a blank look and then said, “it’s an English tradition, not Ukrainian. We just didn’t do that then. We might have celebrated together for something Ukrainian, but not for this English holiday”. That was only back in the 1930s, and it’s strange how now it is such a part of her life every year.

  • Sheila
    Oct 9, 2007 at 12:42 pm

    I don’t live in different countries from my family, but i do live in a different city and it hurts alot that we have problems getting together for these special holidays where we are to believe families get together and feast and remember old and good times. This was the first year celebrating without family and boy was it hard. Use your memories just I found out to enjoy those holidays. HAPPY THANKSGIVING KATIE AND FAMILY!!

  • Sarah Riganelli
    Oct 9, 2007 at 1:14 pm

    The funny thing is, as grateful as we are to have eachother here in Canada, the holidays are missing something that we always had as kids. Aunts and cousins. Even though your family is the one that is so far away we all miss the tradition of the whole family gathering under one roof. All we can do is be thankful for all that we have, both here and across the world.

  • kbaggott
    Oct 9, 2007 at 1:38 pm

    Cathy- I think I am much more comfortable with museum + nice meal out.

    Cecilia- Springtime.

    Leanna- You know, given my vast knowledge of Ukrain culture (I’ve now read two books and one magazine article) I am pretty sure they celebrate the harvest with food and dances and new kerchiefs ;)

    Sheila- Yup. Distance is always a problem. Thanks for such nice wishes.

    Sarah- You got it!

  • Erin McMullan
    Oct 9, 2007 at 10:50 pm

    Thanksgiving was a little delayed for me this year since I was doing my best to get over a cold and didn’t want to infect my new granddaughter with it. But I got a chance to see her for the first time tonight and she is truly beautiful. We didn’t need turkey and all the trimmings to celebrate this incredible miracle.
    Even when we’re separated from our family briefly or by many miles (most of my family are in Calgary), we’re very lucky to have all these wonderful people to love, and for me, one new little person to get to know.

    Erin

  • Jo
    Oct 9, 2007 at 11:22 pm

    What a great post. Thank you for sharing not only your day but a little bit about Canadian thanksgiving. I’ve always wondered what the reasons there are for celebrating and on a different day than we do. Now I know! :)

  • ratphooey
    Oct 10, 2007 at 8:15 am

    Don’t forget all the stresses that can accompany big family get-togethers. Being away isn’t all bad!

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