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Thanksgiving with those who don't celebrate
So this Thanksgiving will be my first outside of the US and I decided to invite my judgmental in-laws over for dinner. I am trying to bridge the gap and really be a family with them since my only family here is my DH. My in-laws have never celebrated Thanksgiving ever and my DH got to celebrate with my family last year. My DH's family is very formal with everything they do and so my DH addressed the issues with the way my family had dinner and how we should present it to his parents. For the first time ever my Thanksgiving will be a four course dinner. I am scared out of my mind. I know the food will be good, I am just wondering how they will react in the end.
Has anyone else ever done Thanksgiving dinner for those who have never celebrated it before?
Janae & Olivier
Re: Thanksgiving with those who don't celebrate
Besides the first year we lived here, when we went home, we have had a big Thanksgiving meal at our place every year with 10-12 people. We just invite whoever of our friends are around so it's usually a mix of North Americans and whoever else. This year, we have 3 Australians, 3 British people, a Canadian and an Italian friend and it's the first year it will be that homogenised!
I think Thanksgiving is an easy holiday to translate to any culture. Everyone loves yummy food right?
BFP Apr 2012, EDD Dec 19 2012 * twin h/b at 6wk, 9wk scan * Baby A lost at 12wks, Baby B was my rainbow born at 36wks
Almost every year I've been here I've celebrated with friends, and since ones I had invited in previous years would drop hints the next years that they wanted to come, the number of guests kept growing and growing. Last year there were 10 guests, and that was so stressful I told DH we were just going to celebrate with the 3 of us this year.
I would usually take a minute or two before the meal started to explain the American Thanksgiving myth (Mayflower, Pilgrims and Indians, happy harvest festival, here's the pumpkin pie). It's way different than the Thanksgiving celebrated in many other countries, which is just a church festival thanking for the good harvest (at least in Germany the churches usually collect for the local food pantry on that Sunday).
Why it's YOUR holiday do it the way YOU want.
I know you are young and you are living in their house, but I think you should cook for them and show them how YOU do an American holiday.
Bio
I was going to say this but didn't have the energy to type words that would fall upon blind eyes...
Couldn't of said it better!
I'm in the same boat!
MIL and SIL don't eat any veggies so I'm not sure WTF they're going to eat, apart from turkey tomorrow. I did get some Spanish ham, chorizo, and other typical Spanish cured pig products so they don't get bored of turkey.
For those with more open minds, I have a traditional dinner. I'm quite nervous! Family dinners here in Spain are big affairs with lots of food and I really don't have the most open minded ILs.