The Thanksgiving Holiday Et Al!

/ Jianne Carlo

Hi everyone *Jianne waving*

Happy Monday! Today’s blog is a twofer – a notice and a blog.

First the notice: For the next couple of days, today and tomorrow, I’m running a few contests over at The Romance Studio’s Thanksgiving Party. Drop by and meet new authors, read some smexy posts, and win prizes. Here’s the link: http://trsparties.com/ or click on the banner below:

logo - trs thanksgiving party

Here’s the big prize!

Amazon eGift Card Giveaway

Enter for a chance to win a $125 Amazon eGift Card! Deadline is midnight EST 11/26/13! Click here to find out how to enter!

And now for the blog:

Most of the North Americans I’ve met don’t realize that Thanksgiving is a holiday peculiar to the continent. While Germany, Bavaria, and Japan have similarly named holidays, to my knowledge no other countries in the world besides Canada and the United States celebrate Thanksgiving in such an elaborate manner.

While Thanksgiving is ‘the’ national holiday in the U.S.A., it isn’t so in Canada. Don’t get me wrong—it’s observed and is a day off, but not with the grand pomp and fervor of the American celebration.

I find the differences between the two nations peculiar because both are offshoots of Britain, both are ‘melting pots’ in terms of population, and both are immigrant-based nations. Yet—and Rosanna you can correct me on this—in Canada, Thanksgiving yields to Christmas, Hanukkah, Eid-ul-Fitr, Divali, and a whole host of other cultural holidays, in importance.

Over the years I have come to relish Thanksgiving because of the very fact that it’s commemorated by every single American no matter what his/her origins.

This year is my second without having all my sons present. Last year the young ‘un was in Madrid, and this year the wayward one (middle son) will be in California. He keeps trying to appease my sorrow and worry by reiterating constantly the fact that Google does whosoever’s left on campus proud with incredible feasts and fun-filled activities.

Sigh.

It won’t be the same, but I’m ever so grateful for Skype. We’re going to set up our biggest screen in the dining room and involve the wayward one even if he isn’t so inclined. His gramma insists on it (read his mom).

This will be my last blog before the big occasion, so I want to take this opportunity to wish everyone who’s celebrating Thanksgiving a joyous, happy, family-filled holiday!

Be safe!

Cheers,

Jianne

P.S. I’m on Cover Reveals on Saturday, November 30 – so those who aren’t braving Thanksgiving shopping please drop by – there will be contests galore and prizes!!! Here’s the link: http://coverreveals.blogspot.com/

9 thoughts on “The Thanksgiving Holiday Et Al!”

  1. Jianne–
    Happy Thanksgiving!

    And you sound like you’re keeping very busy this holiday with all your web appearances and then Skypeing with the wayward son. Try to rest – eat some pie – watch the parade.

    Me? I start my J.D. Robb re-reading marathon on Thanksgiving. Yep, every frigging year I start with the first book in her Death series and read one a day until I get to the most recent one. And since she puts out two books a year, my marathon is longer and longer. Can’t wait. My guilty pleasure.

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  2. You are right, Jianne. Our Canadian Thanksgiving is fun, but nowhere as big a deal as the American one. I’m still so glad we get to celebrate it, however, and I do sort of like the little break between it and Christmas. If I were American, I’d get turkeyed out in such a short amount of time. LOL

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  5. My boys are not fans of turkey, so we have a deal – turkey at Thanksgiving, but meat at Christmas! We do a standing prime rib roast or a crown roast. Bet your boys are getting antsy for Christmas. I so miss having young ‘uns around. I know, your boys aren’t that young, but they’re not nearing 30 either 🙂

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