It’s Thursday. This means the blog is open. I’m here waiting for you to pop by for our virtual chat. I can’t offer you an actual cup of coffee (or tea – after all I’m a Brit), but you can grab your own and take the weight off.
But it’s not just any old Thursday. It’s Thanksgiving Thursday.
We do not celebrate Thanksgiving in the UK. This is disappointing. Because if ever there was a holiday that I think would be a great addition to the British calendar, it’s Thanksgiving.
There’s always room to give a little thanks in our lives. To show gratitude, and to appreciate how lucky we are. Because I truly believe we are blessed to have been born, and experience this amazing life on earth.
Here are 3 things I am thankful for:
1. My family
2. That I am not in constant fear for my own life and that those dear to me are not also
3. I have freedom of speech, and opinion and am able to lead my life how I choose
This is the tip of the iceberg. There is so much more I am thankful for. So much.
In giving thanks, I cannot miss out all of you. Thank you for taking time to come by, chat and be part of my incredibly satisfying virtual world. I’ve said it before, I feel so blessed to have been born at a time to have known the world before and during the internet. And to have had the opportunity to live through this technological revolution.
If we could just make it a big room so we could also make a big thanks for the life that we have. Let’s be thankful everyday. 🙂
Yes lets! Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving, Dear Mum.
If we could just make it a big room so we could also make a big thanks for the life that we have. Let’s be thankful everyday. 🙂
Yes lets! Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving, Dear Mum.
Three things i’m thankful for
1) My family, i love them all dearly and i’m blessed
2) Good health and the NHS (not cos i work in it, although i am thankful for that, but having been at both ends of the spectrum and how lucky we are to have good healthcare)
3) That we have enough to fulfill our needs. And that we have choices
Okay i snook one in!
I read an interesting quote yesterday, think it was the minimalists. Black Friday means the day after giving thanks you go out and trample on people for stuff you don’t need. And for that reason alone i will not be shopping tomorrow at all. And December will be food shopping only 🙂
Sharron x
I think it’s very interesting that a commercial ‘Black Friday’ has filtered through to the UK but the ‘Thanksgiving’ holiday hasn’t. Now I know the origin of Thanksgiving doesn’t really apply to the UK – but I like the idea of having a day where you come together to give thanks.
I’m also not shopping in December. That was the plan all along. I must have had a premonition about taking Christmas off also – but more on that to come!
As for being thankful for the NHS – I agree totally. We are so lucky to have such support in this country IMO. Thank you Sharron – for everything! 😉
It’s annoying that over here we are so eager to adopt materialistic aspects of holidays that we miss the point and traditions of the festival. They’re the best bit!
Three things i’m thankful for
1) My family, i love them all dearly and i’m blessed
2) Good health and the NHS (not cos i work in it, although i am thankful for that, but having been at both ends of the spectrum and how lucky we are to have good healthcare)
3) That we have enough to fulfill our needs. And that we have choices
Okay i snook one in!
I read an interesting quote yesterday, think it was the minimalists. Black Friday means the day after giving thanks you go out and trample on people for stuff you don’t need. And for that reason alone i will not be shopping tomorrow at all. And December will be food shopping only 🙂
Sharron x
I think it’s very interesting that a commercial ‘Black Friday’ has filtered through to the UK but the ‘Thanksgiving’ holiday hasn’t. Now I know the origin of Thanksgiving doesn’t really apply to the UK – but I like the idea of having a day where you come together to give thanks.
I’m also not shopping in December. That was the plan all along. I must have had a premonition about taking Christmas off also – but more on that to come!
As for being thankful for the NHS – I agree totally. We are so lucky to have such support in this country IMO. Thank you Sharron – for everything! 😉
It’s annoying that over here we are so eager to adopt materialistic aspects of holidays that we miss the point and traditions of the festival. They’re the best bit!
Happy thanksgiving! Just because we’re in the UK doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate this lovely holiday.
I’m just on my way to my mum’s to celebrate with my family now. We’ve celebrated it since I moved out. It was a great excuse to get together.
Have a lovely day Hannah. You are so right, it’s the perfect reason to take some time out and spend it with those you love. And are thankful for.
Happy thanksgiving! Just because we’re in the UK doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate this lovely holiday.
I’m just on my way to my mum’s to celebrate with my family now. We’ve celebrated it since I moved out. It was a great excuse to get together.
Have a lovely day Hannah. You are so right, it’s the perfect reason to take some time out and spend it with those you love. And are thankful for.
At this precise moment I’m thankful for paracetamol….or I will be when they kick in and help get rid of this headache!
We have so much to be thankful for it’s hard to choose just 3. My family and friends would be top of my list though. Just had a lovely breakfast catch up with one of my oldest friends, I’ve known her for more years than I care to count, and tonight I’m out for a birthday meal with other friends and family. Maybe we’ll say Happy Thanksgiving as well as Happy Birthday.
Have a great day and I hope the headache clears soon!
At this precise moment I’m thankful for paracetamol….or I will be when they kick in and help get rid of this headache!
We have so much to be thankful for it’s hard to choose just 3. My family and friends would be top of my list though. Just had a lovely breakfast catch up with one of my oldest friends, I’ve known her for more years than I care to count, and tonight I’m out for a birthday meal with other friends and family. Maybe we’ll say Happy Thanksgiving as well as Happy Birthday.
Have a great day and I hope the headache clears soon!
Well, there used to be the Harvest Festival when I was little, giving thanks for what we have. And traditionally there was Michaelmas at the end of September and St. Martin’s in November which has to do with generosity, so I think those would adapt well to a sort of generic thanksgiving without putting us into this crazy consumerism that Christmas has become!
In the Waldorf tradition, those latter two are celebrated as an introduction to the Christmas season, then Advent and finally, the actual “thanksgiving” of light in December. I think all of these are a much nicer and more intentional way of celebrating life than consumer goods – and kids love any excuse for a “special” day, decoration or meal!
Even though I am an atheist, I do have a soft spot for traditions and if they centre on the “people” around me, I am happy to give religious holidays a nod, so to speak.
We should start a campaign for a gratitude holiday! 😉
I remember harvest festival also.
It’d be lovely if we could step back from a consumerist Christmas and just have a holiday where we take time to be with family and friends.
Well, there used to be the Harvest Festival when I was little, giving thanks for what we have. And traditionally there was Michaelmas at the end of September and St. Martin’s in November which has to do with generosity, so I think those would adapt well to a sort of generic thanksgiving without putting us into this crazy consumerism that Christmas has become!
In the Waldorf tradition, those latter two are celebrated as an introduction to the Christmas season, then Advent and finally, the actual “thanksgiving” of light in December. I think all of these are a much nicer and more intentional way of celebrating life than consumer goods – and kids love any excuse for a “special” day, decoration or meal!
Even though I am an atheist, I do have a soft spot for traditions and if they centre on the “people” around me, I am happy to give religious holidays a nod, so to speak.
We should start a campaign for a gratitude holiday! 😉
I remember harvest festival also.
It’d be lovely if we could step back from a consumerist Christmas and just have a holiday where we take time to be with family and friends.
I remember harvest festvial and im perplexed as to where it has gone?! My eldest son used to have it they collected food for the elderly and sung songs about cauliflower being fluffy and green cabage! Makes me sad that today its all about wot the it toy is this year and not about giving thanks 🙁 Sharron x
I remember harvest festvial and im perplexed as to where it has gone?! My eldest son used to have it they collected food for the elderly and sung songs about cauliflower being fluffy and green cabage! Makes me sad that today its all about wot the it toy is this year and not about giving thanks 🙁 Sharron x
I decided to have a laid back thanksgiving this year. We are all healthy, have a snug house, and steady jobs. I’ve been taking the day easy. My husband is running a 10K. The kids and I have the Christmas tree up, watched Charlie Brown’s Thanksgiving, the clips from WKRP Cincinnati Turkey Drop on YouTube, and now they are coloring and I am catching up online. Alice’s Restaurant streaming. I should get in the kitchen soon to start roasting the turkey, but what I think I will do is knit and enjoy an afternoon glass of wine.
As for the giving. While I know many people appreciate giving the ingredients for a Turkey Dinner to our Food Pantry’s, I have always felt it would be better served to take the focus off of a giant meal, and toward a more sustainable supply of food/housing/clothing for those in need.
I decided to have a laid back thanksgiving this year. We are all healthy, have a snug house, and steady jobs. I’ve been taking the day easy. My husband is running a 10K. The kids and I have the Christmas tree up, watched Charlie Brown’s Thanksgiving, the clips from WKRP Cincinnati Turkey Drop on YouTube, and now they are coloring and I am catching up online. Alice’s Restaurant streaming. I should get in the kitchen soon to start roasting the turkey, but what I think I will do is knit and enjoy an afternoon glass of wine.
As for the giving. While I know many people appreciate giving the ingredients for a Turkey Dinner to our Food Pantry’s, I have always felt it would be better served to take the focus off of a giant meal, and toward a more sustainable supply of food/housing/clothing for those in need.
Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday! I love all the food and the day before is always fun when all the girls in my family mom, sis, gramma, aunts, cousin, would make pies, cranberry sauce, cookies. There was always a lot of laughter and more often then not there was flour everywhere, because my grandpa would come in to “help” and it end up starting an epic flour fight. Before we sit down to eat everyone says what they are thankful for. I’m married now and my husbands family does the same thing everyone shares one thing. This year I’m thankful for modern medicine we have been struggling to get pregnant and recently found out our changes are every slim, so I’m thankful for the support of our families and friend who are walking the adoption process with us.
Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday! I love all the food and the day before is always fun when all the girls in my family mom, sis, gramma, aunts, cousin, would make pies, cranberry sauce, cookies. There was always a lot of laughter and more often then not there was flour everywhere, because my grandpa would come in to “help” and it end up starting an epic flour fight. Before we sit down to eat everyone says what they are thankful for. I’m married now and my husbands family does the same thing everyone shares one thing. This year I’m thankful for modern medicine we have been struggling to get pregnant and recently found out our changes are every slim, so I’m thankful for the support of our families and friend who are walking the adoption process with us.
Canadian Thanksgiving was in October and I agree, it’s a wonderful thing to gather your loved ones and enjoy each other’s company without the frenzy that seems to come with the Christmas holiday. Our family has so much to be thankful for, living in a peaceful country with enough to eat and a roof over our heads. Happy Thanksgiving, whatever name you call it, to everyone 🙂
Canadian Thanksgiving was in October and I agree, it’s a wonderful thing to gather your loved ones and enjoy each other’s company without the frenzy that seems to come with the Christmas holiday. Our family has so much to be thankful for, living in a peaceful country with enough to eat and a roof over our heads. Happy Thanksgiving, whatever name you call it, to everyone 🙂