Thanksgiving is new for me, too. Like in Spain, this American holiday is not celebrated in the Philippines, where I’m from, either. It is only when I moved to Madrid as an English language assistant that I was regularly exposed to the cultures of other English -speaking countries- both at school and through the dinner parties friends would invite me to. So if the festivity feels foreign to you, we are in the same boat. We are thankful for our Alkor community.
In the USA, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. Its history stems back to when a group called the Pilgrims decided to leave England for North America to start their own church in the 1600s. 102 Pilgrims set sail on a ship called the Mayflower.
The trip to America was full of challenges and lasted for about a month. The ship was overcrowded and had to weather storms at sea. Unfortunately, their struggles did not end when they finally landed in America. The Pilgrims arrived in winter with no homes and no knowledge of how to make food in this new land, so many of them died due to hunger, sickness, and the cold.
America before the pilgrims
America wasn’t empty when the Pilgrims arrived. There were already over 800 different tribes of Native Americans. Popular stories say that when spring came, some Native Americans taught the Pilgrims how to hunt, fish, and grow corn and pumpkins. When autumn arrived, they had a bountiful harvest, which both groups celebrated by having a big dinner together.
America wasn’t empty when the Pilgrims arrived. There were already over 800 different tribes of Native Americans.
Many historians however believe that this joint celebration between the two groups did not happen. But there are some records of the Pilgrims having dinner amongst themselves to give thanks for the turn in their fortunes.
Cooking up a grateful attitude
Today, Thanksgiving continues to be a day for people to remember what they are grateful for. I asked my 6th graders in class what they were thankful for and they mostly mentioned the basic but important things that we tend to take for granted: family, friends, having food and a home, potable water, school (they were well aware that there are many smart people who don’t get to have an education), living in a country that is not at war.
We also shared modern Thanksgiving traditions that are practiced in the USA. Food is arguably one of the most important parts of the festivity: turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie, to name a few. Students in primary made their own chef’s hats and turkey headbands to wear on the 23rd of November. The students also helped create the Thanksgiving decor at school.
Food is arguably one of the most important parts of the festivity: turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie, to name a few.
But more than aesthetics and mouthwatering images of food, this year each younger primary student was paired with an older “buddy”—1st graders with 4th graders, 2nd with 5th, and 3rd with 6th—to talk about what they are thankful for, and perhaps even receive some guidance from their older peers. Meanwhile, the older students get to practice being a bigger person for the younger ones.
American football
American football is another big part of the Thanksgiving holiday in the USA. Special Thanksgiving matches are held and televised, after which many families also go off to play their own football matches with each other. Students in ESO immersed themselves in this cultural aspect by creating their own football team and presenting their work.
They had to choose a city and a mascot for their team. They could choose any city in the world, but the mascot had to be related to the flora, fauna and culture of the city. For example, if the city was Madrid, they could choose a bear or a churro for the mascot.
They then had to make a poster about their team, including an imagined history and a mission statement. And of course, what is a football team without a uniform? Students designed a helmet and jerseys for their teams.
This is how we celebrated Thanksgiving at the Alkor community.
Our students came up with interesting (some funny) designs and combinations. Which one is your favorite?
This is how we celebrated Thanksgiving at the Alkor community—by remembering what we are thankful for, while also being creative and fun on the side.
What is something you normally take for granted but ought to be grateful for?
Catherine