The Dark Side of the Moon (Kieran's Works)

What about cranberry sauce?

That's the best part of the meal right there.

Originally Posted by Elf

What about cranberry sauce?

That's the best part of the meal right there.

I like it - even if it means I have to eat a little turkey to get it (family rule). The trick is making sure my stomach doesn't make me regret it, afterwards.

Personally, though, I'm more fond of the turnips, brussel sprouts, beets - and of course, the pumpkin pie. Mmmmm.

Originally Posted by Kieran

I like it - even if it means I have to eat a little turkey to get it (family rule). The trick is making sure my stomach doesn't make me regret it, afterwards.

Because it's so acidic right?

I usually eat my Turkey and Canberra sauce together. That's how I get the turkey down.

Originally Posted by Kieran

Personally, though, I'm more fond of the turnips, brussel sprouts, beets - and of course, the pumpkin pie. Mmmmm.

The only thing that sounded appealing was the pumpkin pie. I'm more of a mashed potatoes fan myself. Honestly, with my husband's family, we eat pecan pie over pumpkin.

Why does Canada celebrate giving thanks right around the time everyone's private parts begin to freeze off?

...Then again, a month later, the same thing applies over here.

Originally Posted by Elf

Because it's so acidic right?

Yup.

I usually eat my Turkey and Canberra sauce together. That's how I get the turkey down.

Sounds like a plan.

The only thing that sounded appealing was the pumpkin pie. I'm more of a mashed potatoes fan myself. Honestly, with my husband's family, we eat pecan pie over pumpkin.

Nothing wrong with potatoes - they're a staple at my house - but I've rarely complained about eating my vegetables. It's usually the meat that gives me problems.

*chuckle* We used to do Thanksgiving at my grandparents' place when I was little, and the four kids were seated at the kitchen table to eat. And we'd all trade off what we didn't like for more of what we did. My sister and cousins, for example, weren't too fond of certain vegetables, so they'd get rid of my turkey for me, and I'd get more of the good stuff.

Originally Posted by Dark Pulse

Why does Canada celebrate giving thanks right around the time everyone's private parts begin to freeze off?

...Then again, a month later, the same thing applies over here.

I've never known why the difference - my guess is that it's adapted from an autumn harvest festival up here, and the American date is more historical. But again, that's just a guess.

. . . I should check that holiday encyclopedia at work and see if I can find out.

This is what I've found, summed up by Wikipedia:



The reason for the earlier Thanksgiving celebrations in Canada has often been attributed to the earlier onset of winter in the north, thus ending the harvest season earlier. Thanksgiving in Canada did not have a fixed date until the late 19th century. Prior to Canadian Confederation, many of the individual colonial governors of the Canadian provinces had declared their own days of Thanksgiving. The first official Canadian Thanksgiving occurred on April 15, 1872, when the nation was celebrating the Prince of Wales' recovery from a serious illness. By the end of the 19th century, Thanksgiving Day was normally celebrated on November 6. However, when World War I ended, the Armistice Day holiday was usually held during the same week. To prevent the two holidays from clashing with one another, in 1957 the Canadian Parliament proclaimed Thanksgiving to be observed on its present date on the second Monday of October. Since 1971, when the American Uniform Monday Holiday Act took effect, the American observance of Columbus Day has coincided with the Canadian observance of Thanksgiving.

Much as in Canada, Thanksgiving in the United States was observed on various dates throughout history. From the time of the Founding Fathers until the time of Lincoln, the date Thanksgiving was observed varied from state to state. The final Thursday in November had become the customary date in most U.S. states by the beginning of the 19th century. Thanksgiving was first celebrated on the same date by all states in 1863 by a presidential proclamation of Abraham Lincoln. Influenced by the campaigning of author Sarah Josepha Hale, who wrote letters to politicians for around 40 years trying to make it an official holiday, Lincoln proclaimed the date to be the final Thursday in November in an attempt to foster a sense of American unity between the Northern and Southern states. Because of the ongoing Civil War and the Confederate States of America's refusal to recognize Lincoln's authority, a nationwide Thanksgiving date was not realized until Reconstruction was completed in the 1870s.

On December 26, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a joint resolution of Congress changing the national Thanksgiving Day from the last Thursday in November to the fourth Thursday. Two years earlier, Roosevelt had used a presidential proclamation to try to achieve this change, reasoning that earlier celebration of the holiday would give the country an economic boost.