Main piece: “My mom last year, when we were in Hong Kong, it was just us three, my father, my mother, and I, and she purchased a whole chicken and made stuffing on the side, and cranberry sauce and we made our own little Thanksgiving. The feeling was almost there, almost… because it was a chicken.”

Background:

Informant is a first year acting student at the University of Southern California. She was born in Medellin, Colombia, grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, and at age 12 she moved to Paris and later Hong Kong. She spends her winter and summer vacations with her family in Colombia.

Context:

I asked the informant if she still celebrated Thanksgiving once she moved abroad, and this was her response.

Commentary:

Because the informant has grown up in such a mix of cultures, with Colombian parents, an American childhood, and then eventually living in both France and Hong Kong, it is interesting to see the way she still tries to hold onto bits of her childhood traditions. Even though her mother herself did not grow up celebrating Thanksgiving, she loved the idea of coming together as a family to share a delicious, home-cooked meal. To her family, it does not carry the historical context of celebrating the arrival of the Mayflower, but still has the important message of sharing their gratitude and coming together as a family. Even though a traditional Thanksgiving dinner is centered around turkey, the feeling is close the the same, and her family is reminded of the holiday they used to celebrate.

Main piece:

“We always have Swedish pancakes for breakfast [on Thanksgiving] and it’s divine.”

Background:

Informant is a first year student at the University of Southern California who grew up in Seattle, Washington. Her family got the recipe for Swedish pancakes from her grandmother, and they now all come together to make them every year.

Context:

When asked about how she celebrates Thanksgiving, the informant shared that she always wakes up late, at around 1pm, and then proceeds to have Swedish pancakes for breakfast.

Commentary:

While the informant still participates in a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, her family also adds this tradition of having the same breakfast that day each year. Most people have particular foods they make for dinner each year, but it is interesting to see that every meal on Thanksgiving is the same each year. Additionally, because the recipe is coming from her grandmother, making this breakfast is a way for her family to remember other members of their extended family, even if they cannot be with them.

Main piece:

“I get ready and we have an early dinner at this country club that sucks because we have to go with all my extended family and it’s always catered and not as good. And then we get home, change into pajamas, and have a home-cooked meal that I helped prepare in between the breakfast and first dinner.”

Background:

Informant is a first year student at the University of Southern California who grew up in Seattle, Washington. She has grandparents and cousins that also live in the Seattle area, and she goes home to be with her mother, father, and younger brother during the holidays.

Context:

The informant and I were discussing our Thanksgiving traditions one evening, and this was recorded then.

Commentary:

While many people use Thanksgiving as an opportunity to gather with their extended family and share a home-cooked meal, the informant’s tradition is a bit different. Instead of sharing a meal at home, they go to an early dinner with their family, something that the informant does not look forward to, and then come back home and have their more traditional dinner in their pajamas, with just their immediate family.

Main piece:

“So, Christmas in Latin America is celebrated on December 24th. In the evening is when we celebrate baby Jesus’ birth. So we wake up in the morning and we say “Feliz Navidad” or “Happy Christmas,” and we have usually a large party of my family, it’s about 200 of us, and then at night we sing and we welcome baby Jesus into our home. And then Santa comes on a horse with a big basket with all the presents for all my cousins and I, and what we do is Santa’s helpers, which is my brother and I, we assist Santa Claus, or “Papa Noel” in Spanish, and we give out all the presents to all of my baby cousins… and me as well. Also on December 24th, we have a feast. This feast involves, potatoes, a turkey, a pork leg, lots of desserts like dulce de leche, cranberry sauce… it’s kind of like the traditional Thanksgiving. And then also right before we have steaks, little bits of chorizo, and ribs… and drinks are flowing.”

Background:

Informant is a first year acting student at the University of Southern California. She was born in Medellin, Colombia, grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, and at age 12 she moved to Paris and later Hong Kong. She spends her winter and summer vacations with her family in Colombia.

Context:

I asked the informant how she celebrates Christmas, and this was her response.

Commentary:

While most typical Christmas celebrations happen on December 25th, the informant shared that her family’s biggest celebration happens on Christmas Eve. Her celebrations are centered around her family coming together and celebrating the birth of Jesus, and some of the traditions draw from other holidays, like Thanksgiving, as well. There are still the commercial aspects of Santa bringing presents and the family coming together to share a big meal, but aspects like Santa riding a horse and her family eating dulce de leche show the mix of her Colombian roots. While presents are a part of the experience, it is interesting to see that most of the excitement occurs leading up to the gift-giving, and afterwards there is not much of a celebration.