BENGALURU: As the month of November draws to a close, we also inch closer towards the last Thursday of the month which is Thanksgiving, a day tradition which has its roots in the West, but has been seemingly gaining popularity across the globe, including India.
With Bengaluru turning into a melting pot of culture, and seeing an influx of foreigners, this tradition has been slowly and steadily seeping in.
During her stint with an MNC where Neethy Joseph worked with US-based clients, she learnt about the culture and celebration. “It is interesting to understand other cultures, and I found the idea of Thanksgiving fascinating. I began celebrating it with my friends and family, and we usually go for dinner on that day,” Joseph shared.
For college student Tanisha Kannan, who is relatively new to the concept of Thanksgiving, the best part about the day is bonding with family. “I just love the feeling of so many family members coming over and sharing a hearty meal together. It is something that happens rarely since all of us live in different parts of the globe,” says Tanisha who has been celebrating the occasion for the last two years.
The preparations are elaborate and this year the Kannan family has planned an extravagant Thanksgiving feast complete with roasted turkey alongside soup, potatoes, sprouts and corn. Kannan’s father Ravi Kannan, emphasises that the turkey is the highlight of the day. “A lot of effort goes into its making which includes regulating the temperature at which the turkey is cooked and carefully making the gravy. It’s fun when close family members come together to make it together,” he says.
For 19-year-old Maria Jessica, too, Thanksgiving is more of a family get together which she believes in celebrating in her own way rather than sticking to western traditions. “It’s mostly a family gathering and we don’t follow much of the western traditions but at the same time we make sure not to leave out the essence of the occasion. Of course, we go along with the central theme of cooking turkey,’’ says Jessica whose family has celebrated Thanksgiving for the last four years.
“From the oldest member of the family to the youngest, each of us recall the good deeds of each other in the year gone by, and have a small gratitude session,” she says.