This summer, I was rudely awakened by a girl on the Paris Metro wearing American flag knee-highs and a stars & stripes bandana. My stomach turned; I knew something was terribly wrong. I had completely forgotten it was the 4th of July.
When the leaves start to fall in Paris, my heart turns to the U.S. Although Pere Noel is already camping out on the shelves of the supermarche, this time of year always makes me miss the States a little bit more. After completely forgetting our most patriotic of American holidays, I promised myself to make a concerted effort to maintain my own personal traditions despite the preoccupations of my new life in France. Thanksgiving appeared as the perfect cultural bridge between my two homes.
I have been itching to push all of our tables together and host a Thanksgiving dinner of my own. Although a party of two is just fine for Christmas, Thanksgiving requires a big bird and a full house. Rattling off my guest list to my French husband, I realized that after several years of long-distance dating, we have never spent a real Thanksgiving together.
I attempted to describe the enormity of Turkey Day. It is not an informal apero or a formal dinner party; it is an all-day event. Parades and dog shows must first be watched. Board games must be dusted off to reaffirm family feuds. Black Friday Sales catalogs must be religiously studied and marked up.
He does not yet comprehend the backbone of turkey, green bean casserole, Stove Top Stuffing and the heirloom recipes each family proudly shows off every year. Each celebration is a patchwork of all the parties represented. My mother and I always make galaktoboureko, a sweet wink to our Greek heritage, showcasing it alongside the pumpkin pie and the kolaches, a nod to our extended family’s Eastern European ties.
With a holiday as personal as Thanksgiving, part of me (selfishly) wants to share it only with American insiders. People who would never dare to bring cheese to the carb fest of the year. And it would take the cultural show-and-tell off my shoulders for one night. But this is not in the spirit of Thanksgiving, the original, all-inclusive event. Just as my own family has embraced random exchange students and undergrads at our Thanksgiving table, this holiday is really about being together, being present and being grateful for everything on the table.
What could possibly be more French? But I must not leave the French to bring the wine and the Americans to take care of the rest. The French know how to overcook green beans, too. This year, I’m requiring everyone to bring a taste of their own family histories to my table. After all, the American enthusiasm for inclusion and the French enthusiasm for eating could lead to one hell of a dinner party.
Related links:
- Celebrating with friends? Here’s how to have a stellar Friendsgiving in Paris
- Want to dine out instead? Check out this list on where to go for Thanksgiving dinner in Paris
- Follow a young woman’s tell-all with this American’s guide to Thanksgiving in Paris
Written by Jessie Kanelos for HIP Paris. Looking to travel? Check out Plum Guide and our Marketplace for fabulous vacation rentals in Paris, France or Italy. Looking to rent long or short term, or buy in France? Ask us! We can connect you to our trusted providers for amazing service and rates or click here. Looking to bring France home to you or to learn online or in person? Check out our marketplace shop and experiences.
WRITTEN BY
Jessie Kanelos Weiner
Jessie Kanelos Weiner is a bilingual artist, illustrator and author based in Paris. She illustrates for a many prestigious clients. Her signature watercolor style is commissioned from luxury houses (Cartier, Free People, Atelier Cologne), food brands (Nespresso, Great Jones, Elle à Table) and editorials (Vogue, New Yorker, T MAG). She is currently painting large-scale watercolors and creating her next book about watercolor with Artisan. Jessie is also an ambitious home cook and also appears occasionally as a standup comedian. She is represented by Lipstick London.
hahahhaha.. Do or DIndE 😀
Greetings from S CA + sounds like a wonderful Thanksgiving. Everyone you invite will be very grateful.Happy Turkey Day! xxpeggybraswelldesign.com
Bon chance!
In 1991, living in Nancy, with many “bachelor” status employees of the company my husband worked for, my bleeding heart( at the tender age of 24) decided to throw an American Thanksgiving for about 15 guys and a few families. I was excited but already understood it would be an extreme undertaking: in 1991, many American foods were still not available or popular in Europe. I had to make many things from scratch, including cranberry jelly (a HUGE MESS)and pumpkin pie. The funniest story included a expat from Canada who tried to translate “sweet potato” into French by yelling at the produce lady “YAM”. I still share that story at holidays now, a few years later. What that experience did teach me is that homemade food tastes better than any processed food stuff that is out there and there is a pride involved with not only feeding hungry friends and family but with making the traditional dishes successfully.
That said, I will never make cranberry jelly again from scratch. 🙂
We are doing a ‘traditional’ Thanksgiving for 22 people and while I thought it was a great idea at conception, I am now thinking I may have bit off more than I could chew. Yes, I can find all the ingredients but I always forget that our oven is way smaller than ours back in the US making cooking in general a little more time consuming. Sigh….