Thanksgiving…

The Brandenburger Tor

Thanksgiving is an American holiday; so naturally, it is not celebrated in Germany. In fact, most people do not even know that it exists. In fact, the only thing that the majority of Germans know about colonists and Native Americans is what they learned in their grade school English class.

I asked one of my friends who had done a six-month exchange in the USA, what she thought of Thanksgiving. Her response was priceless. “Oh, I loved Thanksgiving! The house was decorated, the whole family came over for lunch, and then we played games all evening, but we ate the strangest food,” she confessed. “There was turkey stuffed with bread, and these orange potatoes with sugar on them, and a bitter red sauce. At first I was a little hesitant to try all of the food, but after I did I found that it all tasted pretty good!” I found it eye-opening to see how someone from another culture views something as familiar to me as a turkey with stuffing and cranberry sauce so alien.

The American Embassy

Never the less, on Thanksgiving Day, I decided to pay tribute to my homeland and ride my bike to the American Embassy. I had expected to find some type of celebration there, but I ended up being greatly disappointed. There was nothing, not even a simple acknowledgement of the holiday. No pilgrims, no Native Americans, no pumpkin, or squash or corn decorations, and absolutely no turkey in sight. There was, however, a large and colorfully decorated Christmas tree in front of the building. Is it not a little early for Christmas? I thought as I climbed back onto my bike and started to pedal home. The first of Advent is not even until this Sunday. I guess it just shows how important Christmas is to the Germans.

The Christmas tree in front of the Embassy
(and to be fair, also the Brandenburger Tor)

On my ride back home, I thought about the idea behind Thanksgiving, and how it might relate to German culture. While the food served at Thanksgiving may be foreign, the themes of harvest, family, and appreciation can be found in several German holidays. Germans celebrate the harvest in October with the “Erntedankfest.” The churches have special sermons and there is a farmer’s market after the services to celebrate this fest. As far as the family and appreciation aspects of Thanksgiving, they can be seen in the German celebration of Christmas. From what I have heard, Christmas (celebrated on the 24th) in Germany is a magical time. The family goes to church together, comes home and gathers in the beautifully decorated living room, lights the tree, sings carols, eats cookies and then spends all evening slowly opening and cherishing each gift. It is on “Heiligabend,” (Christmas Eve) that family members express their appreciation and love for one another.

As I opened the house door, the smell of freshly baked cookies washed over my face. In the kitchen, I found my host mom stirring a pot of melting chocolate on the stove. “Do you want to help me?” she asked, handing over a spoon. My host mom and I spent the rest of the afternoon baking German Christmas cookies. Though the day of Thanksgiving has come and gone, in Germany, I have to wait until Christmas to truly celebrate it’s meaning.

In front of the American Embassy
(Picture credited to a very nice and clueless American tourist
I met in front of the Brandenburger Tor)