The Thanksgiving Yid guest post by Duby Litvin
Ahh Thanksgiving….. such a warm and fuzzy time of year. The day we stuff our faces, wear stretchy pants and eat doubles and thirds even after the buttons on our shirt have popped open. Sukkos and Pesach have nothing on Thanksgiving. The day screams “Eat!”
While Thanksgiving is every Chef’s (and mom’s) dream holiday – Thanksgiving is also the ultimate Machlokesdik of Holidays. It’s the whole “Do you Celebrate Thanksgiving?” discussion.
I have found 5 types of Thanksgiving Jews
Category A: They celebrate Thanksgiving with a big Turkey, stuffing and all the trimmings. They invite friends or family, eating to their hearts content. Having experienced Yom Tov all their lives, Thanksgiving is a breeze! These moms can whip up this fancy meal better than any other secular American – because these Yiddishe Mamas KNOW HOW TO COOK! Thanksgiving is never a day of stress like all the magazines talk about – but it’s day of fun. There is no Shul to get to on time, no shopping for “Thanksgiving outfits,” no sheitels to have styled, or Shabbos makeup to worry about, and the most important: no showers before the 18 minutes! It’s a holiday without the Yom Tov
Category B: These people don’t really celebrate on the actual Thursday of Thanksgiving but make a “Thanksgiving Style Shabbos” – (well Turkeys ARE on sale ) So for Friday night they’ll serve a turkey with some pumpkin pie, sweet potatoes and pair it with the traditional gefilte fish and chicken soup. These people think Thanksgiving has a nice story, comes with lots of delicious recipes – but consider it a little ‘pas’t nisht’ for frumme yidden to celebrate and would be considered “chukas ha’goyim.” Therefore these guys do their little thing on Shabbos instead. This also pacifies their American friends who think they’re elitist Frum Jews, and also calms the ultra frum parents who shudder at the thought that their child is taking part in American culture.
Category C: If you haven’t figured this one out yet – these are the people that refuse to have anything to do with Thanksgiving and see it as any other “goyishe” holiday, such as Christmas or Easter and will take no part in it. With a turned up nose – they wouldn’t dare buy a turkey (since it might be seen as a ‘holiday’ turkey – and would be maaras ayin). The truth is this attitude doesn’t really stem from arrogance but more of a religious thing. These people truly believe that “every day is Thanksgiving.” We must thank HaShem EVERY DAY for what we have and dedicating only ONE day to be coined Thanksgiving belittles the concept entirely. Therefore, shunning the ideology behind Thanksgiving, these guys feel it shouldn’t be celebrated at all.
You will find a similar attitude with American holidays such as Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. Since “Every day is Mother’s Day” then the ONE day in May shouldn’t be looked upon as any differently.
True Story: I have a grandmother who actually yelled at me for calling her on Mother’s day – and after giving me the speech that we don’t celebrate Mother’s Day, being the good little granddaughter that I am, I listen to her and no longer call her for Mom’s day (or any other day )
But getting back to the topic – Thanksgiving.
Then you have Category D:
The people who don’t really know what Thanksgiving is to begin with! These are the people (bless their ultra- orthodox hearts – you gotta love them!) – they pashut don’t know what a Pumpkin is – and when they see one, they automatically think it’s something to be used only for Halloween and therefore shouldn’t be allowed NEAR their children. This pumpkin must never be brought into their homes lest it may corrupt their kids’ chinuch. It’s actually a little funny and sad at the same time.
Then we have the Vegans. The vegan people are Category E – yes –frum or not frum – these guys belong in a category all on their own 🙂
Veganism is becoming more and more popular in todays over processed, over sugared and over medicated American Society. However, I know this may come as a shock to you all, but Thanksgiving and Veganism just does not work! Tofurkey?! …I’ll repeat that — TOFURKEY?! It’s pure blasphemy! In my opinion, if you want to be healthy and/or stay away from the meat – then why try to pretend with tofu? We all know it’s just a lump of soy tofu mush – so who are we fooling?
And that pretty much sums up my analysis of Jews and Thanksgiving. On a slightly serious note, (just a slight one 🙂 ) I think it’s time we all realize what the day of Thanksgiving is truly about. The point of Thanksgiving is a day to recognize and acknowledge that which HaShem has given us – this beautiful and plentiful country of America. A country that allows us to be as frum (or not) as we wish. A country that allows us to vent and bitch as we wish and a country that allows us to wear our peyos as long as we want. Our ancestors would never be able to say the same thing – and for that – there’s nothing “past nisht” about having a meal to acknowledge this gift. (now, if we can only not get ourselves blown up by those darn terrorists )
So I say – enjoy the mashed potatoes, the pumpkin pie and Give Thanks to the greatest country!
Happy Thanksgiving ya’ll!
Duby Litvin
www.dubylitvin.wordpress.com
Author, Designer, Creator (and secretary) of The 5 Pillars of Health. Duby educates the masses about health & wellness, saving the world one blog post at a time. In her spare time, she organizes rallies and protests against Tofurkey 🙂
You didn’t have my category;
I’m on the fence about Thanksgiving. I’m not against it, but I wouldn’t “make Thanksgiving” if left to my own devices. If friends or relatives invite me (and they keep kosher) I’ll go, but if not, I’d gravitate towards category B. Thanksgiving has some nice ideas in it, but I find the idea that you HAVE to “make Thanksgiving” a little goyish. You have to have Shabbos or Pesach. Thanksgiving is optional.
If there’s another G-d dam smiley in this post im gonna rip the colon and parentheses buttons off his keyboard and shove them up his ass!
Otherwise pretty funny!
What he said.
Dude, what have you got against happy people?
there were only 3 of those smileys, one which was not even in the body of the article
and I quote: “being the good little granddaughter that I am“…
i believe you meant to shove it up her ass…
point taken …. you dont like smileys.
PS – im a girl … but i’ll let it slide this once.
I don’t feel as though I “have” to celebrate Thanksgiving, but I happen to like it and enjoy celebrating it. Yes, American has not been perfect to the Jews, but I do think it qualifies as a Medinah shel Chesed.
If we held by what the Beloved one wrote on another thread regarding United States Grant, then noone would be happy. We would be complaining, the blacks would really be complaining, and what the heck good does that do? None! This is the greatest country in the world, and I feel very lucky to have been born here and to live here.
Can “it” happen again? Absolutely, and however much I love this country, I still keep one eye open at all times.
A Gut’n Erev Yuntif to all. Gobble, gobble, gobble….
G-d Bless America.
what cracks me up is the way these people get all stressed about thanksgiving the way they start preparing months in advance because “oh no I’m making two side dishes and my br0ther in law is coming with his kid!” Give me a break we do that every week.
I dont see why people cant “recognize and acknowledge that which HaShem has given us – this beautiful and plentiful country of America.” one day later on friday night when we get together anyways instead of stuffing our faces two days in a row. And if you say well we MUST do it on thursday because thats when everybody else is doing it, well hopefully you can see why some would have a problem with that.
Happy thanksgiving to you as well (incidently I am having a thanksgiving dinner)
The stress isn’t over the preparations in most cases but in dealing with their families, something obviously not present in a hemishe setting.
I’m with john, Among my coworkers it is both. Most of them began preparations months in advance, when I told them every friday night we have an appetiser, soup, main dish (sometimes 2), 2 side dishes (sometimes 3 or 4) and dessert, they dont believe me.
too many smileys. why are there so many?!
makes it look like it was written by a 14 year old girl.
Nice article. I especially enjoyed that family story you shared:
“True Story: I have a grandmother who actually yelled at me for calling her on Mother’s day – and after giving me the speech that we don’t celebrate Mother’s Day, being the good little granddaughter that I am, I listen to her and no longer call her for Mom’s day (or any other day )”
That’s all kinds of fucked up.
Funny! Love it!
Th category C folks are basically people who cannot, or will not, do ANYTHING that is not from what they believe is the torah. Why can’t we have a day where we get together with friends and family and acknowledge the awesome country we live in? That’s not against the torah and it’s not even religious, it’s just plain enjoyable. I suspect a lot of these folks are so overwhelmed with all their religious observance that the thought of adding another event to their calendar cannot possibly be enjoyable.
My my, and i thought frummies were judgemental. Who is “we” that you refer to, you very much can (and do) have a day to get together and do whatever you want. why cant they have the oppurtunity to not partake in what they view is a non-jewish custom.
I celebrate Thanksgiving. However if I were to make ‘Aliya I think I’d stop.
Hey Duby,
You talking about my mom in Category C?!
I wouldn’t be surprised…
I’m pretty much in the same category as David- basically apathetic towards Thanksgiving (I guess “category AP” for “Apathetic”). I celebrated Thanksgiving this year because some people from shul invited me, but last year (when I was out of the country at the time) I pretty much ignored it except for having a turkey shwarma sandwich for lunch.
Some years I visit my parents a few hundred miles away- but since visiting my parents for Hanukah a few weeks later is mandatory, a visit for Thanksgiving is not so important.