Thanksgiving celebrates the life and peace

Thanksgiving celebrates the life and peace

By Farsijana Adeney-Risakotta

Today in the United States, we commemorate Thanksgiving .  It is a national holiday. When the celebration of Columbus day was began to celebrate by the people in the United States, many protests . Protests related to the understanding of history that Columbus was seen to open the gate for a European settlers to move to the United States and began as a prelude to the oppression of indigenous people who had been already here.

Those who were here first so-called First Nation , as popularized in Canada , but in the United States still called the native of American  or the Indians . Thanksgiving as a celebration is not  rejected at all by the people in the United States . Thanksgiving is part of the recognition of both the migrants and the natives of the generosity of the Creator that allows life to continue.

The celebration is associated with thanksgiving after the last harvest before winter . Indonesia does not have winter . But every change of season , from dry season to rainy season where farmers can not be maximal activity to harvest their produce , the farmers celebrate thanksgiving . In Gunung Kidul ,  Yogyakarta, the kind of thanksgiving day called the day Rasula , where farmers after harvest finish with a religious pray to relate with the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad SAW .
Prayer starts from the fields and orchards to raise their prayers and sprinkled water and old seeds in the hope of the harvest will come again and abundance of the earth to human beings . Prayer activities in the fields and gardens made ​​by each family , sometimes it can be done together. Supposely women dance to express thanksgiving for the harvest that has been abundant . When the famine came , the farmers remain grateful . They live a simple life with great care using a stock of rice and potatoes meal, so as not to run out of food. During this period, farmers share available crops and food.

Thanksgiving as a celebration in the United States and Canada is done with a background that is almost similar to agricultural practices in Indonesia . This tradition has been practiced in Europe as in the Netherlands when the immigrants from the British anchored in Leiden on their way to the United States in the early 17th century . Immigrants  arrived in the United States , first to the New England . Boston is still storing cap marks of Christian puritans who came from England to the continental United States . The Puritan group called Plymouth . Puritan cap is kept as a symbol for Masschutssets Turnpike Tolls.

The immigrant were  Protestants who fought to protect their religion  which were different from the nobility . The puritans were ordinary farming communities.  Class transformation occurred in Europe , especially after the Protestant Reformation spearheaded by Martin Luther . The essence of Christianity was returned to the modeled life of the early church where every person had access to the direct teaching of Christianity by reading the Bible , from which faith grows because of God's mercy alone .

Thanksgiving began to  celebrate in the United States when the first immigrants arrived in the New England area where surrounding by  beautiful hills , rivers and lakes . People arrived in a state of hunger, no food,  Then the natives provided them with food.  They came with a turkey that chickens living wild in the forests across the American continent . What did they eat they bring and share with the immigrants . There were sweet potatoes, potatoes , beets and so on . They also taught how to look for fish , shrimp and process them in the river . Goodness natives was celebrated as a blessing to invite everyone in the family and neighbors for a meal together.

 

 

Thanksgiving provides an opportunity for everyone to be grateful in the way . In my opinion , Thanksgiving is probably the only festival in the United States is still maintained as close as possible in accordance with the tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation . In the United States , Thanksgiving is celebrated on Thursday of last week of November . Being in Canada is celebrated on the second week of October. On Thanksgiving Day there will be an abundance of food . Family members will prepare a variety of foods that should be available as a menu for Thanksgiving .

Thanksgiving a celebration for everyone , no longer is a religious celebration . Thanksgiving is a celebration related to the mutual recognition of the nature of life that should be owned by everyone . Life goes on with various existing turmoil . Celebrate thanksgiving allow people to sit together and acknowledge the equality of beauty to share.

The main menu is turkey or roast turkey cooked in the oven after peppered with spice mixture processed in the form of so-called " staffing " . Staffing is bread mixed fresh herbs such as garlic , onions , celery , and others are included in the body for a baked turkey in the oven at a very low temperature for several hours approximately 8 hours .

 

Weight of turkey depends on the number of people who come for dinner. For 12 people may need 14.5 pounds of turkey.  2.2 pounds is equal to 1 kg. So 14.5 is approximately 7 kg.  Cooking such big turkey need more time. It can cook since in the morning with low heat to match with the time for eating.  When people all sit on the table, then roasted turkey is taken out by host member of the family to present in the middle.

Thanksgiving is usually celebrated as dinner.  Pak Bernie’s family celebrate Thanksgiving around 3 pm. But it can also at 5pm. 5 pm on the East Coast is different from the West Coast. Boston now has been like 5 pm 7 pm in Indonesia. The addition of one hour to set behind in the beginning of November was to reduce the duration of darkness than light. But on the west coast in California which is different as three hours from Boston still light at 5 pm.   

 

Roast turkey eats with mashed potatoes and mashed sweet potatoes. I am most pleased to see the plates of people in the table that make the lake as mashed potatoes or petatas filled with broth from the roast turkey . Side souce poured together on the meal is Canberry sauce . Anyway there are a variety of meal that makes the dining table is full and beautiful .

 

Today we  celebrate Thanksgiving with  pak of Robert Hefner , ibu Nancy Smith - Hefner and their family . So I better stop here to wait approximately the traditional presentation by Hefner - Smith family.  Actually bu Nancy has sent the menu that we can see so many dishes that bu Nancy is preparing!

 

Bu Nancy said we have to come with the earnest hunger. The tradition of eating with a hunger to remember the native affection and love of God who gives abundantly to human food. Eating in a state of hunger also makes food taste,   such as fasting. There will be plenty of food and then take home as left over that will be enjoyed for several days.  Happy Thanksgiving .