L.L. here, for Thanksgiving. With five pies and a lulav.
Thanksgiving is one of those holidays that challenges my tendencies towards simplicity.
Two kinds of potatoes, mashed-white and whipped-sweet with sugared pecan topping. Green beans with garlic and butter. Stuffing. Orange-cranberry sauce. Turkey (yes, even at my veggie-lovin’ table). And the pies… oh, the pies!
Somewhere along the line I started making five pies for Thanksgiving. Pumpkin, pecan, cherry, apple and blueberry. Well, there’s no turning back now. Everybody waits for the pies.
Last year, we added a new dimension to our celebration, based on the biblical harvest festival of Sukkot. We had Grandpa read one of the traditional Psalms and we made a lulav (from pine branches and other assorted greens). Then we gave the lulav to the littlest child, along with a lemon, and marched around the house behind her saying, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.”
Right before the five-pie part, we each received a piece of fruit on our plates, which we put into an empty basket on the table. Silently, we gave thanks for whatever secret thing we wanted to give thanks for; later, my sister-in-law said that was her absolute favorite part. She said she wanted to cry.
In the end, that’s what abundance can do. Especially if we’ve lived in an ordinary way for the rest of the year. Five pies, a lulav, a child marching, filling a basket with thanks… gives us awe.
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Join us in Celebration
Would you like to share a Thanksgiving reflection or tradition? Drop your post link here in our comment box and place our special Thanksgiving Celebration badge in your post so others can see what we’re up to. We look forward to your offerings.
Cherry Thanksgiving art by L.L. Barkat. Post by L.L. too.
RELATED ARTICLE:
Christianity Today’s Marching Farmers, Homeless Slaves shares more about Sukkot and explains the lulav and other biblical harvest festival traditions
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did someone say pie?
We are really going overboard on the desserts this year, too. But I’m totally okay with it.
Abundance!
May I come to your house?
I love the idea of each person placing a piece of fruit in a basket and giving silent thanks.
My mother used to go all out at Thanksgiving. She’d rise around 5 in the morning to get the turkey (always weighing at least 22-25 pounds) in the oven by 7, do prep on whatever foods could be started and refrigerated until their time, and start on the pies. Hours and hours of cooking and baking. Everyone – and sometimes that meant a many more than the 9 we were, especially as marriages brought new ones into the family – joined at table around three in the afternoon and had another meal around eight. Now Mom likes to go to eat. I still marvel at how she accomplished it all, never once using a cookbook.
Oh, how I love this! I’m heading out of town after work tomorrow, though…I’ll be thinking about this one in the car on the way! Maybe I’ll hook up with you all later. Thanksgiving is wide open for me, since we never held this feast when I was a kid. We’ve managed to make some pretty special traditions along the way. My favorites are the Thanksgiving dinner I cook a week ahead of time for my middle schoolers at church, and Jeff and I have volunteered at a community Thanksgiving dinner for the first part of the day for a few years now. Taking Teddy with us this year. My wonderful mother-in-law enables us to do this…she has the feast waiting for us when our potato-peeling hands and weary feet call it a day!
Happy Turkey Day, L.L.
Many pies–er–blessings to you.
Wishing all of my American friends here, a very abundant Thanksgiving, and know that I am thankful for all of you.
nAncY… you are my kind of lady!
Bradley… do tell. We want to know what’s on the menu.
Maureen, sure!
This year we wanted to get food from a restaurant for the occasion and my eldest child protested, “Thanksgiving isn’t about getting food made by SOMEBODY ELSE.” Well, so I understand your mom’s wish for a rest. And I understand the importance of making memories side-by-side.
Laura, I woke up today thinking about the cool things you do in celebration of the season!
Okay, for the celebration here at HCB, my links…
http://seedlingsinstone.blogspot.com/2009/11/thanks-unsolicited.html
http://lovenotestoyahweh.blogspot.com/2009/11/early-thanksgiving.html
http://greeninventionscentral.blogspot.com/2009/11/i-give-thanks-for-you-and-you.html
My reflection on Thanksgiving posted at the blog — “A Farmer in Northwest Iowa.”
A new poem just written: Thanks Given.
http://writingwithoutpaper.blogspot.com/2009/11/thanks-given-poem.html
Happy Thanksgiving Celebrations…
My links:
http://jezamama.blogspot.com/2009/11/thanksgiving-in-midst.html
Here is mine! Written in the car on the way home from Lexington.
http://lauraboggess.blogspot.com/2009/11/surprised-by-joy.html
It sounds wonderful. I love traditions, and I also love establishing new ones.
Blessed Thanksgiving L.L.! You have “enlarged my vision” here in this internetty world!
I’m enjoying these offerings so much. A fine celebration indeed.
Laura, that made me laugh… about the seconds. I like leftovers too.
Linda, that is a very kind word from you. Thanks!
I’m not a big holiday person, but I realize Thanksgivng is a good time to pause and give thanks.
http://www.janetober.com
A Thanksgiving morning contribution to the feast of words here …
http://gettingdownwithjesus.blogspot.com/2009/11/our-favorite-farmers.html
http://www.neighborhood-kids.com/Things/Holidays/2266.aspx