As I was making preparations for the dinner in the morning on Thanksgiving Day, I was thinking of how much I love it here, especially around this time of the year. Living in the US for the past decade or so, I have added new holidays to the list of Indian festivals I celebrate with friends and family here, like Halloween and Thanksgiving.
Halloween is one holiday that I never really celebrated as such, but it sure is a lot of fun now as I get to dress up my little girl in cute costumes every year. Thanksgiving, on the other hand, is something I have been enjoying every year since I moved to this country. As a student at the Rutgers Univ in NJ, I was a part of the International Friendship Program that introduced me to this traditional American holiday. My friend through the program, the principal of Rutgers Prep School, invited me to join his entire family for the holiday weekend at their beautiful house on lake Mohawk in Sparta NJ.
As you can see from the pictures, I had a blast during my first Thanksgiving holiday. As a new student from another country, it was a perfect way for me to learn about the American culture. From that wonderful experience, I came back happy memories and a new tradition. Every year since then, I get together with friends and family and celebrate this traditional holiday.
This year, my friends Meghana, Kanika and I got together with our families, and enjoyed an day long Thanksgiving dinner. It was a joint effort; we had a casual dinner, chit-chatting, playing games and making appetizers and cocktails together while waiting for the oven to finish roasting the chicken and the biryani.
Here’s a recap of our Thanksgiving dinner …
