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Food and (American) Football

Posted on Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Happy belated Thanksgiving, everyone!

Last week was my first time celebrating Thanksgiving outside of the States. Honestly, I didn’t feel especially homesick on Thursday because it was just a normal day here; Thanksgiving isn’t really recognized in my host country.  Maybe I would have felt the holiday’s absence later on after diving into Christmas celebrations, or maybe I wouldn’t have missed it at all. Thankfully, though, I had a wonderful opportunity to share this part of American culture with a bunch of friends from all over the world.

One of my American teammates decided to organize a Thanksgiving meal for Saturday. We talked a lot about it beforehand, trying to decide who would make which traditional dish and where we might find the right ingredients. Our other teammates offered suggestions for dishes they could bring that may or may not be typically American, and I was excited to attempt making a sweet potato pie, which would not only be new to our friends from different countries but also to American friends who aren’t from the South.

Not only did my teammate organize a fairly traditional dinner, but she also put together a game of American football! Those of us who wanted to play met up earlier in the afternoon, went to the nearby park, and learned at least the basic rules of two-hand touch. It was so much fun, so tiring, and so refreshing!

By the time our football game was over, we were absolutely ready for a good Thanksgiving meal, and the food did not disappoint. Everything was delicious, and we did have several traditional dishes (including cranberry sauce!).

I really enjoyed getting to celebrate an American holiday with friends from around the world, but what’s even cooler than that is the fact that thankfulness is not limited to the States. Actually, it makes complete sense for Christians to focus on giving thanks, to share meals with one another, and to invite friends with other beliefs into that celebration. I want to continue doing that throughout the year. Just like Valentine’s Day is not the only day of the year that you tell someone you love them, make sure Thanksgiving is not the only time of year that you acknowledge what you’re thankful for.

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