To be annoyed by Thanksgiving in the UK?

[talomon]

Is it me or Thanksgiving is becoming quite widespread in the UK?

I studied in the states and live in central London, so maybe I am exposed to American people more than most, but I still feel many of my Brit and French friends and acquittances have started hosting Thanksgiving and treating it like a major holiday. Ten years ago it was quite obscure.

I mean I get that it's a nice occasion, and the food spread looks nice especially for social media, but still I am not sure I like it.

YANBU = Our culture is becoming to Americanized
YABU = It's a great holiday to celebrate

Actually I'm curious if people here know that the settlers in that story were English.

I think that’s pretty well known.

"YANBU = Our culture is becoming to Americanized"

Were you being deliberately or unintentionally ironic spelling "Americanized" with a "Z"?

Surely most people went to work or school yesterday ?

I've literally not heard anyone so much as mention Thanksgiving IRL.

The only people I have ever known to do this are Americans living in the UK.

Ok thanks. It's just that poster complained about Americans celebrating stealing the country, technically they're celebrating the English stealing the country.

Well, this month we’ve had bonfire night where traditionally burn a catholic in effigy in this country. So, you know… 🤣

I only know one person who celebrates it and she lived with her family in America for a long time. What bugs me about it is that we have black Friday, which is like having the Boxing Day sales without having Christmas!

I don't know anybody who celebrates it (or even talks about it) and I live in a big multicultural area of a major city.

I know several British people that have celebrated Thanksgiving this year! But that’s because I’m American and invited them. I’ve lived outside of the states, all over the world, for 15+ years and have celebrated Thanksgiving with non Americans every year. There are a few misconceptions about the holiday on this thread but that’s understandable. Most people I know see it as an opportunity to share food with loved ones and express our gratitude for what we have. Its problematic origin story is largely ignored or acknowledged but then moved on.

Sweet potatoes with marshmallow are strange, I’ll give you all that. They’re not just southern, I’m from the PNW and we always had them. I used to do mine with a maple and pecan topping but even that was usually left!

I am so glad that we've found a way to drag the 'Halloween is American and terrible' threads right into November.

Next you'll be saying we should ban Christmas because Jesus was American and Walmart the holy ghost.

You don't know anyone celebrating Thanksgiving. But if you did, and you're actively annoyed by them enjoying themselves, that's a YOU problem.

www.britannica.com/topic/Thanksgiving-Day

not quite. The celebration is the celebration of coming together with the indigenous people. Many Americans now believe it to be a day of thanks for their help to survive the harshness of the land they’d landed on.

of course I’m not saying that removes damage done to native Americans. Just that no body is sitting there cheersing to people being slaughtered.

And yes, the settlement of America most certainly is a part of British history and culture.

Oh stop being so reasonable. It's MN.

😂

I can't vote because I don't know anyone who celebrates it. I didn't even see many SM posts about it from US friends!

Me neither (and don't give people any silly ideas!).

It’s my birthday around Thanksgiving and I like the food so usually ask DH to cook a Thanksgiving type meal (basically a roast with some more American tweaks) but we don’t “celebrate” the holiday as such. I have some family in the US and I will usually wish them
well.

yoyy ·
Don't know anyone that celebrates it here who isn't American.

My American brother in law went to a pub (in U.K.) that were doing a ‘Thanksgiving Evening Meal’. It was packed and he was the only American there.

Some British spouses/children of Yanks in Uk get invited to TG events, I find.

Does this mean Americans shouldn't celebrate Christmas because it was a English Victorian invention? And as for Easter, pah, that's a middle-eastern import, right?

Is the time to mention that Halloween is HuGE in the nearest small English (rural East Anglia, 99% ethnic English) town where I live? Massive community event. Super fun. Lovely. Funny how people have autonomy to do as they please.

I’ve never met a British person living in the UK who celebrates it, it’s definitely not a thing here. The only time I ever had any involvement with it was when I did some temp work in an American company in London and they brought in some pumpkin pies. Why would anyone here want the hassle of a big celebration dinner just before Christmas? Do these people even know what the US is celebrating?

There’s always a couple of pubs round here that do it because there was an American military base nearby for years. This year pretty much all the pubs did it.

I think given how hard hit hospitality has been over the last few years places will be taking each and every opportunity to put up a special menu or occasion to try and attract people in.

Our local had Halloween and Bonfire night specials for the first time ever this year. They’re desperate for more custom as they’re right on the edge.

We only celebrate it because DH is American. The only families we know that celebrate are American or half American.

I also don't know anyone who celebrates it

I only know Americans to celebrate it, which is great