Honestly, I never celebrated Thanksgiving with my family. Not even when I lived abroad in the country where Thanksgiving is a big thing! Unfortunately, it’s not a tradition where I come from. I only learned about it through English class at school and by looking it up later on on the world of the web.
And even though, I might not be celebrating it the way others do, I like to make my own special now and then. But how?
Step 1: Ask yourself what kind of Thanksgiving you want to have. Some prefer being around a lot of people, surely that is something one can do normally (not this year as Covid is a thing still). Or maybe it’s just you. You come first!
Step 2: What about some traditions? Those are not that bad. What sort of traditions would they be? What do you enjoy most?
Once you got those two steps down, it’s time to start! Let’s make this happen!!!
Once you are ready about giving some Thanks, let people know that you are going with it. If you are new in town and you don’t know what you’re doing, then get in touch with some of the Expats. You’d be surprised who will open their doors for you at the end.
It might be awkward to speak up about your situation or what you want to do. But surely, others will understand and they might invite you along to their tables. At the end of the day, you will be thankful for all those families, the new people, the new traditions you’ll experience. And that is the most important thing of all!
But what if you do your own thing? Well that’s also easy.
You prefer avoiding awkwardness and the one that comes with waltzing into the home of a complete stranger. I get it. In that case, you can waltz into the local newspaper’s website to see which restaurants are open during that time or which restaurants offer the best meal that resembles the one of Thanksgiving. There’s always a fancy restaurant with meals somewhere.
The hardest part about it is being alone. That’s the hardest part with any holiday. In our minds, holidays are deemed a time for family, friends and it’s natural to feel alone if you are lacking those. But don’t let that get you down!!!
Whether it’s being in a crowded kitchen or in your own kitchen or a dinner out in town, what makes Thanksgiving special is the traditions you make and who you spend it with.
