Thanksgiving

In case you hadn't noticed, Thursday was Thanksgiving! You wouldn't have noticed in Switzerland. Nobody, and I mean nobody has the slightest clue about Thanksgiving here. Oh, I suppose a few people have heard of Thanksgiving, but even they don't know what Thanksgiving is about, and that's a shame. Because, while I've never been a huge fan of Thanksgiving in the past (not a big football watcher, don't like feeling uncomfortably full, etc.), I've finally come to really appreciate the holiday.

I mean, it's a great American holiday! There are no gifts (a relatively uncommercialized American holiday!), it's not a religious* holiday, and it has a very low-key, meaningful, and perhaps even humble focus: what are the things we're thankful for in our lives? So, it would be nice if more non-Americans knew what the holiday was all about. After all, we could stand to be known for some of our more contemplative, humble traits**....

In keeping with that idea, last Thursday the few American parents in our kids' classes arranged with the teachers to take some time to read a few books about Thanksgiving, do a small craft project, and talk about the holiday. So there are now 12 four year olds and 11 seven year olds in Switzerland who know a little bit about Thanksgiving (plus two British teachers!).

But, today was our "Thanksgiving holiday" as we got together with a bunch of expats from Laura's work for a Thanksgiving feast in the hills above Lausanne. The turkeys were French, small, extremely fresh and astoundingly expensive. Most of the side dishes were very green compared to my typical Thanksgiving meal (my plate usually consists entirely of foods in shades of white, yellow, beige and orange). There were kids running around underfoot, chasing footballs and frisbees, climbing on play equipment and riding ziplines. It was great! A really wonderful substitute for the past holidays I've celebrated with family on the actual day. I have to admit, though, I really missed not having a four day weekend!

In keeping with the Thanksgiving tradition, I should express my gratitude for a few of the blessings I find in my life. Warning, similar to the four desserts I ate this afternoon, the rest of this post is certified 100% cloying and may induce feelings of pity and mild nausea in readers.

• I'm grateful that the kids are in a great school with remarkable, amazing teachers. And, that Elliot is in a class of 13 kids where he can get the attention he needs.
• I'm grateful to have two good kids who try really hard to do the right thing, who love each other and enjoy spending time with each other and doing things together. Most of the time. 
• I'm thankful my brother works for an airline that gives his parents stand-by flight benefits making it much cheaper and easier for them to visit us more often. (And, makes it pretty easy for him to visit, too.)
• I'm thankful for Skype, Ooma VOIP service, email, Facebook and other technological wonders that make it easy for me to stay in touch with family and friends. And see my nephew as he grows up from a baby into a toddler.
• I'm thankful that we have no mortgage. (Of course, we have no house, either, but this seems a very worthwhile trade-off!)
• I'm grateful for this opportunity to live in a new and different place and get to do all sorts of fun and exciting things I never thought I'd be able to do before.
• I'm exceedingly thankful to have a wonderful relationship with my fantastic wife. It's a terrible cliché, but she really is my best friend.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

*Okay, true, the first Thanksgiving was a Pilgrim feast and celebration giving thanks to God for a successful harvest. Still, essentially all religious aspects have been fully boiled out of the holiday just as all flavor has been genetically-modified out of your typical Butterball(tm) turkey breast. I'll have my Thanksgiving feast religion-, controversy-, and flavor-free, please! No I won't. Bring on the dark meat!

**As opposed to Black Friday. Yes, people sort-of kind-of know that there is some weird major shopping day in the US at the end of November. It's too bad more people internationally have now heard about the Wal-Mart pepper spray incident than have any clue about Thanksgiving.

One amusing Black Friday anecdote: Apple ran a Black Friday promotion in Switzerland. But, the Swiss were very confused about why Apple would be running a one-day promotion on some random Friday in late November. What's so special about 25 November?!