Happy Thanksgiving

November 22, 2007 10:15 AM

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody. Here's wishing you and your families peace of mind, peace of heart, and generosity of spirit.
posted by fandango_matt to MetaFilter-Related at 10:15 AM (99 comments total)

So far no one has fallen for my American-baiting, but I'll say it one more time: Thanksgiving was last month, people.

But enjoy your turkey. And go to bed early so you're well-rested to fight for your 42" plasma TV.

And peace of heart, etc. That too.

I must say I do enjoy the quiet in the office that comes from all our customers having the day off...
posted by GuyZero at 10:22 AM on November 22, 2007 [3 favorites]

see here
posted by puke & cry at 10:26 AM on November 22, 2007

Buy Nothing Day is tomorrow; that's my holiday.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 10:33 AM on November 22, 2007 [7 favorites]

I'm thankful for jessamyn reminding me to buy an extra pack of cigarettes today.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:36 AM on November 22, 2007

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody?

It's a little bit late for some of us.

NOT A CANADIANIST. Well, ok, maybe a little bit.
posted by blue_beetle at 10:36 AM on November 22, 2007 [1 favorite]

Man, Buy Nothing Day would have been a lot easier if they scheduled it today. Maybe they can fix that next year.
posted by GuyZero at 10:41 AM on November 22, 2007

Bunch of tax-dodgers.
posted by game warden to the events rhino at 10:41 AM on November 22, 2007 [1 favorite]

We don't even have thanksgiving here.
posted by sveskemus at 10:46 AM on November 22, 2007

Well we get two days off, so there.
posted by puke & cry at 10:49 AM on November 22, 2007

It's snowing outside. It is fucking snowing, and I have to drag myself through all the sludge in highly inadequate footwear to go to campus for a group project meeting. Not even a class, or a test, or what have you. A group meeting. Recipe for incompetence, indeed. *trails off into bitter mumblings*

But really, I just want a day off too... I propose we Canucks get two Thanksgivings. Problem solved.

Happy Turkey-Day, US-ians.
posted by Phire at 10:53 AM on November 22, 2007

Oh, c'mon Jessamyn, Buy Nothing Day is so 20th century. I'll be taking to the streets of Seattle to encourage people to Buy More Stuff.
posted by donovan at 10:55 AM on November 22, 2007

Happy HOORAY!!! Day.
posted by Eideteker at 10:56 AM on November 22, 2007

Buy Nothing Day is tomorrow

But the stores for tomorrow's sales at 10pm tonight, so it's ok!
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 11:00 AM on November 22, 2007

*attempts to get thread back on the rails*

Thanks, fandango_matt, for your good wishes, and the same to all of you. Thanks for providing some of the best discussion, insight, humor, invective and snark to be found on the intertubes. My life would be a whole lot less interesting without MetaFilter. Thanks, all you friends-I've-never-met.

Hey, Canadians, come on down for a second Thanksgiving dinner. We need help finishing up the leftovers!
posted by Quietgal at 11:05 AM on November 22, 2007

WTF do Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving for? Did the Inuit share some moose and poutine with a bunch of hockey players?
posted by mr_crash_davis at 11:05 AM on November 22, 2007

Next the Canadians will be telling us independence day is on July 1.
posted by Astro Zombie at 11:13 AM on November 22, 2007 [1 favorite]

flagged
posted by geekyguy at 11:15 AM on November 22, 2007

All I know about Thanksgiving I learnt from sit-coms. Your mother-in-law in law is coming. Ha! You'll burn the turkey. Ha! All your friends one by one will learn they can't spend it at home so you'll spend it together. Ha! You'll all have a sentimental moment 23 minutes into Thanksgiving [a bit like fandango_matt's]. Ha!
posted by meech at 11:19 AM on November 22, 2007

WTF do Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving for?

It was to commemorate surviving an unsuccessful attempt to find the Northwest Passage, which is pretty badass.

Yours is basically just some prudes with buckle shoes celebrating the fact that they managed not to starve themselves. And that one only achieved official status because many of the celebrants of the original Thanksgiving got killed by the Powhatan.



And ours was first :P
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 11:30 AM on November 22, 2007 [8 favorites]

I wanna, I wanna spaaaam!

Have a good one, y'all.
posted by cortex (staff) at 11:32 AM on November 22, 2007

And from the bottom of my heart I say: Get stuffed!
posted by phaedon at 11:32 AM on November 22, 2007

WTF do Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving for?

It's more of a harvest thing than a Pilgrims n' Injuns thing. And bein' up Noth, our harvest come afore yorn.

Happy Turkey Day my fellow Americanos!
posted by Koko at 11:32 AM on November 22, 2007

The other Icelander I know in Providence and I are getting together to have sole, arugula, baked potatoes and white wine. Yeah... we don't really get the holiday. We're calling our little dinner Thanksgiwhat?

But Happy Thanksgiving, folks, those of you celebrating..
posted by Kattullus at 11:36 AM on November 22, 2007

Damn, I was gonna call it American Thanksgiving in my mega-post, but I forgot.
posted by wendell at 11:45 AM on November 22, 2007

Happy day! Enjoy your foods and your family!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 11:46 AM on November 22, 2007 [1 favorite]

Canada is in America.

And thus the cycle begins again.
posted by Astro Zombie at 11:52 AM on November 22, 2007

In that case, I'm glad I didn't. "USian Thanksgiving"
posted by wendell at 11:54 AM on November 22, 2007

Yanksgiving?
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 11:55 AM on November 22, 2007 [3 favorites]

Yeah... we don't really get the holiday.

good company + food = thankfulness. A simple equation requiring no special religion, nationality, politic or creed. Pretty universal, actually. Enjoy your food and company, today.
posted by oneirodynia at 12:20 PM on November 22, 2007 [2 favorites]

WTF do Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving for? Did the Inuit share some moose and poutine with a bunch of hockey players?

British privateers, pirates really. Frobisher was a buccaneer for many years.

We celebrate our Thanksgiving meal of rum and whale liver in traditional pirtate and/or Eskimo Inuit costumes.
posted by bonehead at 12:31 PM on November 22, 2007

We celebrate our Thanksgiving meal of rum screech and whale liver

Fixed that.
posted by GuyZero at 12:50 PM on November 22, 2007

The other Icelander I know in Providence and I are getting together to have sole, arugula, baked potatoes and white wine.

No rotten shark meat or singed goat heads?

I keed.
posted by ORthey at 12:52 PM on November 22, 2007

FUCK THANKSGIVING.

All of a sudden the internets become totally dull and dead for us Brits. I need you idiots out there doing stupid shit on YouTube, causing inane foreign wars, squabbling between right- and very-right-wing parties, playing about with wowwowwacko religions, and finding some surreally good links and genius writing for my pleasure while I'm stuck at work. Not stuffing your faces and going shopping.

Now get back to it.
posted by bonaldi at 12:57 PM on November 22, 2007 [8 favorites]

ORthey: No rotten shark meat or singed goat heads?

Surprisingly hard to find... but what can one expect among the barbarians.
posted by Kattullus at 12:57 PM on November 22, 2007

My daughter works for The Gap. She and her co-workers were instructed by the higher-ups to wear black to work tomorrow for Black Friday. I wonder why...it's not like any of the crazed shoppers are going to notice.
posted by wafaa at 1:04 PM on November 22, 2007

All you Canadians who think your 1578 celebration was the "original" Thanksgiving need to look up what happened in Florida on September 8, 1565, when Spanish explorer Pedro Menéndez de Avilés landed at what would become St. Augustine and celebrated a feast of wild turkey, venison and salted pork stew with the local Timucua Indians.

Clearly, *that's* the first European thanksgiving meal in North America - not Plymouth, not Canada. The fact that Spanish was spoken around the table has gone a long way to keeping it under most folks' radar, but I'm sure that'll be changing soon.
posted by mediareport at 1:21 PM on November 22, 2007

Oh, and thanks, matt, jessamyn, cortex and the rest of this Internet Peanut Gallery for that voodoo that you do so well.
posted by mediareport at 1:25 PM on November 22, 2007

I'm pretty sure that the Vikings who settled at L'Anse aux Meadows were at some point both thankful and eating at the same time. Not recorded, but very probable.

Trump that, yankies.

Oh, and enjoy the turkey or whatever.
posted by CKmtl at 1:28 PM on November 22, 2007

Yeah, the internet's boring today. Please finish digesting enormous dinners and post interesting stuff. Ta muchy!
posted by Helga-woo at 1:29 PM on November 22, 2007

Uh, Canadian Thanksgiving was declared an official holiday after American Thanksgiving. It's only "first" in the sense that our is October and yours is November.

What are you talking about?

(Thankful for going home early today)
posted by GuyZero at 1:29 PM on November 22, 2007

...actually, the first (verifiable) European "thanksgiving" in North America was probably a Winternight about this time of year in Vineland, at L'anse aux Medows, sometime around 1000 AD.

So, can't we just agree that Thanksgiving, Canadian or American, is where we're all Vikings?
posted by bonehead at 1:38 PM on November 22, 2007 [1 favorite]

Not recorded, but very probable.

Fair enough. Either way, the Plymouthers and Canucks both have their heads up their butts on this one. The first *recorded* European thanksgiving meal in North America was Pedro Menéndez de Avilés' landing at St. Aug on September 8, 1565.
posted by mediareport at 1:39 PM on November 22, 2007

No, bonehead, sleep is where I'm a Pilgrim.
posted by wendell at 1:45 PM on November 22, 2007

As a total aside, I saw a documentary about the Vikings in Vinland in which some researcher explained her theory about why (some of?) the settlements were abandoned. If I recall correctly, there were some saga-like records of very angry attacks by local tribes after initial hostilities settled and trading relations began.

Her theory: the Vikings unknowingly traded milk or dairy products to lactose intolerant natives who, when the gastric unpleasantries hit, thought they had been poisoned.
posted by CKmtl at 1:56 PM on November 22, 2007

Alien: I bring you [thanks].
Lenny: It's bringing [thanks], don't let it get away!
Carl: Break its legs!
posted by blue_beetle at 2:11 PM on November 22, 2007 [2 favorites]

Thanks! You (and everyone else) too.
posted by unknowncommand at 2:25 PM on November 22, 2007

I still don't understand Thanksgiving :(
posted by brautigan at 2:35 PM on November 22, 2007

One less Tofurky. thanks giving. jerks.
posted by univac at 2:37 PM on November 22, 2007

This is the day we English give thanks that all our crazed fundies fucked off to America.
posted by Abiezer at 3:03 PM on November 22, 2007 [7 favorites]

Man, I ate too fucking much.
posted by yhbc at 3:20 PM on November 22, 2007

Buy Nothing Day is tomorrow; that's my holiday.

Every day is buy nothing day for me. That's where I'm a viking!
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 3:39 PM on November 22, 2007 [1 favorite]

Bring on Midsummer, already! That's when swedes are vikings! We'll outeat and outdrink you all, and we'll do it in the company of giant, phallic fertility symbols! Even though the original swedish vikings were a bunch of wusses.
posted by soundofsuburbia at 3:52 PM on November 22, 2007 [1 favorite]

bonaldi, if you're waiting for Americans to stop stuffing their faces and shopping, I wouldn't hold your breath.
posted by veggieboy at 3:57 PM on November 22, 2007 [1 favorite]

I'm drunk and have taken my pants off.
posted by Astro Zombie at 4:10 PM on November 22, 2007

I'm making a turkey day card for the folks at Snopes.

It says HAPPY PRANKSCLEAVING.

I'm making another one for the board of Hebrew National, in appreciation for their recent free-hotdog promotion.

HAPPY FRANKSGIVING.
posted by cortex (staff) at 4:25 PM on November 22, 2007

I'm thankful for outrage-filter on the front page. More, please. You are always were a headache and / you always were a bore.
posted by orthogonality at 4:44 PM on November 22, 2007

"Thaanks...giving?!?"

I have no idea what you're talking about. Tomorrow is Beer-n-BBQ day, just like every Saturday in Sydney. We use these festive occasions to celebrate the invention of beer & of barbecues, and also to reflect on the great variety of tasty animals & creatures of the deep that are available for our consumption.
posted by UbuRoivas at 4:53 PM on November 22, 2007 [1 favorite]

Bring on Midsummer, already! That's when swedes are vikings! We'll outeat and outdrink you all

And you'll start saving the very next day, on order to afford the booze next year.
posted by UbuRoivas at 4:54 PM on November 22, 2007

oh, this thing is *today*? i got confused, coz we'll be giving thanks tomorrow for the electoral annihilation of our racist, lying, immoral, warmongering, bush-asslicking excuse for a prime minister.

and then having some beers & a barbecue.
posted by UbuRoivas at 5:02 PM on November 22, 2007 [1 favorite]

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.

Everybody? I thought this was an international forum. A number of countries are represented here that do not celebrate Thanksgiving. And then there's also those of us 'murikuns like myself who, regardless of being born in the land of the free and the home of native-American genocide, do not celebrate the holiday.

But the warm congeniality of your post is appreciated, nonetheless. A simple, honest message with good intent, which I think is noble.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:04 PM on November 22, 2007

That's mighty white of you, flapjax.
posted by Specklet at 5:10 PM on November 22, 2007

That's mighty white of you, flapjax.

No, no, Specklet, y'see I've got a Cherokee princess ancestor, and she's responsible for any good within my character...
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:15 PM on November 22, 2007

Fine. Happy Thanksgiving, everybody but flapjax at midnite.
posted by cortex (staff) at 5:20 PM on November 22, 2007

Clearly, flapjax, you do celebrate the holiday. With a plate of beans.

I am thankful for MetaFilter. Sometimes this site infuriates me and makes me froth at the mouth, sometimes it makes me laugh till other people look at me funny... but it always, always edifies me. Forgive the maudlin, as am half-pissed on Champagne, but I'm a pedestrian ol' American and today is the today where you give thanks aloud for that which makes your life better. (and, as oneirodynia pointed out, Thanksgiving is an inoffensive, religion- and baggage-free holiday that centers on food... what's not to get? or love?)

Cheers, you bunch of miscreants and reprobates. [NOT REPROBATE-IST]. And thank you.
posted by pineapple at 5:21 PM on November 22, 2007 [2 favorites]

In deference to flapjax, since I'm also part Cherokee, I'm going to eat some turkey and then, at midnight, march myself around the block. I'll probably stab myself around 1 am.
posted by sleepy pete at 5:23 PM on November 22, 2007 [1 favorite]

Firewater for all!
posted by dhammond at 5:34 PM on November 22, 2007

Hmm, summa y'all a bit touchy about this T-giving stuff, no? Not something one can joke about, it would seem!

Oh, and pineapple, would ya pass the beans? Thanks!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:39 PM on November 22, 2007

Fun facts:
1. Squanto was fluent in English when the Pilgrims arrived.
2. The Pilgrims brought the turkey from England.
posted by Reggie Digest at 6:04 PM on November 22, 2007

Every day is plunder and pillage day for me. That's where I'm a Viking!
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 6:15 PM on November 22, 2007

Where did Squanto learn English?
posted by solipsophistocracy at 6:18 PM on November 22, 2007

apparently from a British slaver named Thomas Crapper... read then post, read then post
posted by solipsophistocracy at 6:22 PM on November 22, 2007

no, from monks
posted by solipsophistocracy at 6:26 PM on November 22, 2007

Hey, thanks fandango_matt. I'm thankful for y'all, brothers and sisters.
posted by Divine_Wino at 6:48 PM on November 22, 2007

Flapjax: And then there's also those of us 'murikuns like myself who, regardless of being born in the land of the free and the home of native-American genocide, do not celebrate the holiday.


I've got enough Native American blood to see the irony, and to feel a bit bitter about it, if I let it get to me, but you know what? I was damn happy to have a day off from busting ass, though I love my new job, and am looking forward to the same tomorrow. I'm not a follower of the Son of the Big Guy, and I'm not a descendent of a Pilgrim, but I think rather than be bitter, it's okay to take a moment to be thankful for the roof over my head, and the heaping, steaming plate full of REALLY GOOD FOOD I got served at Hoover's restaurant. Thinking of that meal, and thinking of how good I've really got it in life, it's okay to reflect for a moment and be thankful for it all, whatever country I reside in, and as a happy MeFite, I hope it's okay if I take the occasion in joining with fandango_matt in wishing glad tidings on the lot of you, wherever you may be.

/beans
posted by Devils Rancher at 6:51 PM on November 22, 2007 [1 favorite]

There are no turkeys in Korea, live or dead, that I've been able to find. In compensation, every time I see a picture of one, I slap my stomach and shout 'get in mah belly!'.

It doesn't help. So empty, so empty.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 6:51 PM on November 22, 2007 [2 favorites]

So there's not any strange, out-of-the-way Western food marts stacked floor to ceiling with western delicacies, analogous to the cool oriental markets you find in the big American cities? It seems wrong that I should be a short drive away from Galangal root and Thai green curry paste, while you go without turkey across the entire Korean peninsula. Criminal, even.
posted by Devils Rancher at 7:05 PM on November 22, 2007

I'm tipsy and have put Astro Zombie's pants back on him. Her. It.
posted by The corpse in the library at 7:24 PM on November 22, 2007

Well said, Devil's Rancher, and I'm happy that you find happiness in this day.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:30 PM on November 22, 2007

STOP OPPRESSING MY ROSE-SCENTED WENIS!
posted by Astro Zombie at 7:34 PM on November 22, 2007

Turkey neck, turkey gizzards.
posted by maudlin at 7:55 PM on November 22, 2007

who wants a sandwich?
posted by kuujjuarapik at 8:06 PM on November 22, 2007

The Pilgrims brought the turkey from England.

Say it ain't so. No, really...Fucking England?
posted by wafaa at 8:10 PM on November 22, 2007

I've seen 'em, you fuck 'em.
posted by jonmc at 8:16 PM on November 22, 2007

A number of countries are represented here that do not celebrate Thanksgiving.

let's bomb the foreign bastards until they learn some gratitude
posted by pyramid termite at 8:37 PM on November 22, 2007

let's bomb the foreign bastards

They all hate us anyhow...
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:47 PM on November 22, 2007

I thought we were supposed to kill them with kindness.
posted by metasav at 8:50 PM on November 22, 2007

There are no turkeys in Korea, live or dead, that I've been able to find.

I believe Costco carries them.
posted by oneirodynia at 10:09 PM on November 22, 2007

I believe Costco carries them.

Ah, that would make sense. Now if only the nearest Costco were less than 4 hours away by car (one of which I don't have). And if I had an oven. [/whine]
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 10:32 PM on November 22, 2007

A toast, if you will, to the US. Save me some stuffing and gravy! Mmmm gravy.
posted by Totally Zanzibarin' Ya at 10:44 PM on November 22, 2007

The Pilgrims brought the turkey from England.

Say it ain't so. No, really...Fucking England?

I probably sort of half made that up, actually.
posted by Reggie Digest at 11:32 PM on November 22, 2007

Crap! I posted in the wrong thread!

Disclaimer: All sentiments posted in the other thread still count, I hope. Best wishes to all, regardless of locality or beliefs. I'm just recovering from dealing with the folks with similar DNA to mine, and I likely had too much tryptophan (but OMG, my aunt can SO cook a fabulous turkey). And then, I started drinking some when I got home.
posted by lilywing13 at 12:15 AM on November 23, 2007

Pants are off again!
posted by Astro Zombie at 12:48 AM on November 23, 2007

Alright, here goes... I'm stabbing myself... ask someone about what being a Cherokee means in the Native American scheme of things...












or not, and just go with it.















or just keep running.















or running.















Tecumseh!















.
posted by sleepy pete at 12:50 AM on November 23, 2007

Cherokee?
posted by Reggie Digest at 1:21 AM on November 23, 2007

Where did Squanto learn English?

In England, according to this.
posted by timeistight at 9:34 AM on November 23, 2007

Greg Nog, please link to recipe, please please please...
posted by wendell at 11:11 AM on November 23, 2007

Happy Happy!
posted by MythMaker at 11:12 AM on November 23, 2007

...but that required scrolling down to the comments... on a flickr page! Do sane people do that? (Oh wait, I confused flickr with YouTube... my apologies.)
posted by wendell at 3:56 PM on November 23, 2007

Greetings, internet friends. Glad tidings.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 1:37 AM on December 5, 2007