Mouthing Off | Thanksgiving 2020: tradition, turkey and gluttony in a year where there’s not much to be thankful for
- Thanksgiving is usually celebrated with friends and family, and traditional dishes include turkey and pumpkin pie
- This year will be different because of social distancing, but the feasts will no doubt be in full force
American Thanksgiving is going to be weird this year. For one thing, there hasn’t been a lot to give thanks for in 2020.
The other obvious hitch is it’s still not a great idea to gather all your loved ones together in one place. You don’t want to be remembered by future descendants as the great-granduncle who wiped out almost an entire branch of the family by inviting them over to eat turkey and stuffing during the great pandemic of the 21st century.
I do admit I have an unusual fondness for Thanksgiving. It’s one of the public holidays without any denominational baggage. Anyone from any faith and background can join in the fun and make it their own.
It originated as a celebration of the harvest, but the custom was whitewashed with an American myth about the Pilgrims sharing a meal with Native Americans. Over time, it would be one of the bedrock platitudes of this holiday.
In the United States, generations of families reunite each November to indulge in a big feast, followed by the watching of NFL games, a food coma and drunken arguments with your relatives about old issues after months of emotional distancing, denial and resentment.