Thanksgiving is TURKEY DAY. Everybody gets a 30 lb. bird and cooks it in the oven in the biggest pan they own that they only use on Thanksgiving. Then they have all their relatives come over and eat turkey, cranberries, stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, and pumpkin pie for dessert. There is usually lots more to eat, but those are the required dishes.
Then all the guys watch football and drink beer all day long, and the women cook the food in the kitchen and goss[p and drink wine. The kids get all buzzed on limitless amounts caffeine in Coca-Cola and other soft drinks, and run around chasing each other, yelling and screaming, until the men get pissed off 'cause they can't hear the TV and then chase the kids outside.
After dinner, everyone has to open their belts cause their stomachs get so big, and they are all moaning, "Oh, I shouldn't have ate so much!" Then they drink some coffee to keep from falling asleep and maybe go out in the yard and throw a football(or a nerf football) around to get some fresh air, and the grandmas and grandpa fall asleep sitting in their chairs in front of the TV.
After an hour, it is time to eat some more. So then the desserts are brought out. Everyone has to eat some pumpkin pie with whipped cream on it, because that is a requirement, no excuses, no matter how stuffed you are. Then there is also ice cream, cookies, cakes, and usually apple pie, also.
Then the alka seltzer and Tums and PeptoBismol are passed out. After that, it depends on your family. Some people play cards or poker, or games like charades or scrabble. Some watch TV. Some just sit around the dining table, talking about things like the time Aunt Ethel fell in the swimming pool and other such lovely stories, and laughing and drinking lots and lots of beer and/or wine. This continues until people are about ready to pass out.
Then they go home, taking lots of turkey and food for dinner the following day with them. The next day they spend recovering from Thanksgiving, and the fact that it is only Thursday, gives them 4 days in a row off work!! Last year a friend of mine left Wednesday after work and flew to BKK, and got back Monday morning in time to go back to work.
That is Thanksgiving! Nobody really gives a shit about the Pilgrims anymore! That is just for pageants at the elementary school where kids get to dress up as Pilgrims and Indians, and learn to make pictures of turkeys out of construction paper to take home and show their Mom!
