It’s time to pray for a new tomorrow as we bring in good tidings. And what better time than on Thanksgiving today to bond with friends and share some of life’s edible pleasures with your family. Making the day extra special this festive season are expats and Indians who plan to come together to soak in the festivities.
Elizabeth David who is from Alabama and has made Bengaluru her home, running the Habanero restaurants in the city, shares, “I’m going to host a Thanksgiving feast at Habanero with traditional recipes. My husband and I are making pumpkin soup, roast turkey with delicious stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce, potatoes and vegetables and pecan pie for dessert.”
Legend has it that in November 1620, a small band of pilgrims landed in Massachusetts and founded New Plymouth. It is even believed by some that these pilgrims celebrated the first Thanksgiving with their Indian friends. Anita Tejwani who runs Fanzart making designer ceiling fans, from New York City, married an Indian and is settled in Bengaluru since last two years and loves to celebrate Thanksgiving in traditional style. She exclaims, “Thanksgiving is about being thankful to our family and friends. It’s always better to have both Indians and Americans together on the dinner table. The more the merrier! I’m hosting a Thanksgiving dinner for about 15 people at home and I’ll be making corn, mashed potatoes, broccoli, a salad, baked lasagna, pastas and homemade apple pie. Of course, there’s going to be lots of wine and home made sangria and fruit punch too.”
Another expat, who has made the city her home is Emilie Rivera McSweeney, a Filipino-American from Dallas, Texas and celebrates the day with loved ones. Emilie states, “We will get together and thank God for all the blessings we received the whole year. In the US, it’s bigger than Christmas because all Americans from different religions celebrate it. Here we have the traditional Thanksgiving dinner and then we watch football after. This is the time when the family really bonds. I do miss the US but it’s a lot of fun here too.”
