Thanksgiving in the UK: Do you Celebrate?

 

 

The last Thursday in November is… well, just another Thursday; buses run as usual, offices stay open and no one is debating the best way to cook a turkey. Yet for many Americans (and others who’ve adopted the tradition), one question inevitably pops up this time of year; “Do you celebrate Thanksgiving in the UK?”n! 

Short Answer: Not Really. Thanksgiving isn’t a British holiday. There are no bank holidays, no parades, no frantic last-minute cranberry sauce hunts. Most people in the UK simply don't mark the day at all and many only know it’s happening because their American friends mention it. 

 

Long Answer: It Depends. Just because the country doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving doesn’t mean you can’t. 

 

For Americans living abroad, Thanksgiving can become a meaningful tradition. A way to stay connected to home across thousands of miles. It may be scaled down, improvised or creatively reconstructed, but the heart of the holiday remains: gratitude, togetherness and comfort food. 

 

Most Brits are curious about Thanksgiving, but not invested. They may ask what the holiday is about or why the meal is so big, but many enjoy being invited to a Thanksgiving dinner. It’s a novelty, a cultural exchange and let’s be honest, nobody turns down a plate full of good food! 

Many of us will know Thanksgiving, thanks to the American TV series Friends and the episode where Rachel tries to make a ‘traditional’ English trifle… but the cookbook pages stick together, so she ends up combining a trifle and a shepherd’s pie! Despite the beef with peas and onions layering the ladyfingers, jam, custard, raspberries, bananas and whipped cream, Joey famously said: “Custard? Good. Jam? Good. Meat? Goooood.” 

Even if you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in the traditional sense, the idea behind it resonates universally. Taking a moment to pause and reflect on the good things, big or small, fits into any culture. 

 

Happy Thanksgiving!