to be jealous that Americans get Thanksgiving AND Christmas?

[FeuDeRussie]

Thanksgiving sounds really good. Like Christmas, but no presents to worry about (AFAIK?), just FOOD!

Are there any Americans around who can tell me what Thanksgiving is like? Do you prefer it to Christmas?

but don't they only do one day at christmas?
(going by films here)

I don't know... No one likes Boxing Day really though do they? It's just depressing.

Yeh, but they also get George Bush, Mitt Romney and Hersheys chocolate. Swings and roundabouts.

Yeah but their Christmas is rubbish. Everything's open on Christmas afternoon. They don't fill themselves with dates and those jelly fruit things and satsumas and watch Love Actually 47 times.

Americans generally get much less annual leave than here in the UK though (I think), so we're better off in that sense (unless self employed).

see I love it.....perhaps cos dd does not sleep christmas eve(17 now) so I am always tired on christmas day, boxing day is so relaxing

Speak for yourself, I LOVE boxing day!

Americans really know how to do Holidays.

And movies, and food, and gas stations.

Still, we have Boxing Day, with sales, and indigestion, and in-laws, and stuff.

They seem to do Halloween better than us too.

Maybe we'll adopt Thanksgiving like we've adopted their Halloween traditions?? I'm going to try and start that :)

Yes America has far more public holidays than we do. However, most jobs come with far lower holiday entitlement because of this. So no I would rather be able to choose when I take my holiday and not have to take it on the last Thursday in November and then have to go back to work on the Friday.
Add to that shocking maternity leave of 6 weeks (second only IMO to Australia where certain professions are exempt from having maternity leave!!!!) then no I am much happier here.

honeytea I agree, I love Halloween :) I want to go out in the streets like in the films and for everyone to be dressed up as ghosts and witches.

I always found it took the shine off the one day of Christmas then back to work and the sports obsession was tedious!

But I'm a Brit and so had no emotional connection to it.

So if they have turkey for Thanksgiving, what to they have for Christmas dinner?
And do they have mincemeat pies?

And if I was American I would probably never go abroad, just spend my very minimal holidays exploring the amazing landscape.

But yes, many other reasons to prefer the UK really.

I love boxing day. I would not trade boxing day for thanksgiving.

It means that Christmas decorations don't go up in the shops until December which is a good thing. Until then they have kind of Autumny displays. I don't know if that means you have to all of your Christmas shopping in December though because that would be too much.

We used to alternate our Christmas dinner; one year baked stuffed shrimp, the next a standing rib roast.

I never ate or even saw a mince pie until I moved to the UK.

No, there are not presents at Thanksgiving/

But we get bonfire night and that's lots better than a turkey.

Yeah just drive for 30 hours straight and get to Florida or something. Imagine how much stuff you could take if you didn't need to get on a plane?

By "many other reasons" I just mean their healthcare, lack of holidays and Republicans. And their TV is fecking awful. But they do have New York, Thanksgiving, wolves, bears and the wilds of Canada on the doorstep...and sunshine in summer.

Right, I'm moving.

I was about to type 'what, they don't get bonfire night???'

My Mum's american so I get both

Although I'm working tomorrow night so this year I will just get re-heated food :(

I'm pleased we don't have a Thanksgiving type winter celebration as well as Christmas... Come Christmas day I'd be all "but we did this last month!" I just like having the one big day :)

Yes but they also have Twinkies :o