Playtimes HK Magazine November 2017 Issue | Page 57

Food, Family
and Football
What is Thanksgiving and why do we celebrate it?
This is definitely not a season that turkeys look
forward to! Jennifer S. Deayton explores
Thanksgiving history and traditions
I
t’s a four-day weekend. You don’t have to buy gifts, dress in
costumes, hide eggs or give out candy. You can eat as much
as you want, watch as much football as you want (Hook ‘Em
Horns!). And, you get to enjoy one of the greatest Peanuts
animated programs ever.
Yes, I’m talking about turkey, The University of Texas
Longhorns and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.
I’m talking about today’s Thanksgiving.
Fun fact: the current American version of Thanksgiving (day
off work, turkey and stuffing, pumpkin pie) owes its inception
to a woman named Sara Josepha Hale. Novelist, magazine
editor, cultural influencer, Hale was the Oprah of the 19th
century, according to Smithsonian magazine. But you might
know Hale from her other well-known creation: the nursery
rhyme ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’.
Hale’s determination to bring families together for a
national holiday turned in to an epic 17-year crusade. As
the History Channel explains, in 1789 President George
Washington did kick off the idea that Hey folks! Thanksgiving
should be a national holiday. It wasn’t his most popular
notion. In fact, the rest of the country basically said, Meh.
Then, in 1827, after reading a diary of pilgrim life, media
mogul Hale started a campaign to make Thanksgiving an
annual U.S. tradition. It wasn’t until 1863, however, in the
middle of the American Civil War, that her efforts paid off.
That’s when President Abraham Lincoln officially proclaimed
Thanksgiving a holiday to be celebrated on the final Thursday
of November. Thanks for the long weekend, Abe!
Nowadays, school children across the U.S. often learn
about the very first Thanksgiving feast of 1621, in which
Pilgrims gathered together with members of the Wampanoag
tribe to share a successful harvest. However, they might
not know that those early, hardy settlers and the Native
Americans so crucial to their survival ate venison and plain
cranberries, not nap-inducing roast turkey and casseroles
with mini marshmallows.
Or, as Snoopy serves to his friends: toast and popcorn.
When it comes to the study of Thanksgiving in Hong
Kong schools, the pilgrims of history take a back seat to the
cultural and societal significance of the day. Thanksgiving is
not so much taught as introduced within the larger concept
of global traditions and celebrations. The holiday often takes
its place beside other seasonal, harvest fests such as Diwali,
Canadian Thanksgiving and Mid-Autumn Festival, while
encouraging students to reflect on one of its basic tenets:
giving thanks. Children also learn about the thr ee other pillars
of Thanksgiving: people returning home to their families, the
sharing of special food, and of course, how to make turkey
art from the outline of your hand.
Anna Cooke, a Primary Two teacher at German-Swiss
International School, says that in her classroom the child-
led focus of their Traditions & Celebrations unit encourages
parents to contribute too. When American parents (and
grandparents) come in and share how they celebrate
Thanksgiving at home, students are made aware of how and
why the holiday exists. Course guidelines also ask students to
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