Taking Children Out of School for Thanksgiving

[bagofsnakes]

Any other US parents take their children out of school for thanksgiving?
We took our son out last year but as he was under 5 the school really didn’t care. This year we put in a formal request but it has been denied. It’ll go down as unauthorised. Are we the only ones that do this? I know that there are other American families in school and I know that at least one of them just tells the school that her kids are sick every Thanksgiving, although I’m not keen to go this route.
Background - I’m a UK citizen but DH and DC are US (DC born in US) but now live in UK. For those who aren’t familiar, Thanksgiving in the US is a super big deal, more so
Than Christmas for many families.

You can stream the parade. We do take the kids out for Thanksgiving. It’s a way of keeping in touch with my roots and traditions.

I personally would take them out of school and celebrate the day.

I never did as I live in the UK, not the USA

We usually do Thanksgiving-a-day-late on Friday. Altogether more relaxed. I miss the parade but am grateful to not have to pretend to enjoy the football.

Two years we flew to the US for Thanksgiving and took the kids out for a whole week. Yup I live here but no I don’t agree with the obsession over attendance. It’s more important to me that my kids maintain strong ties to their family in the US. Those were the only days out they missed that year. No one seemed particularly fussed.

Horsemad and Ta1k - I recognize you both from the education boards and wondered if you were Americans! You’ve both had great advice on schools.

Jinglebell where can you steam it? I’ve looked every year and have never found anything that works in the UK. Even the Macy’s app last year (which I had high hopes for) didn’t show the actual parade!

Stream not steam!

Erm....my husband makes it happen. I’ll ask him and let you know.

UsTVNow is how we get our US shows. Apparently YouTube are going to broadcast live as well but don’t know if it will work here?

Yeah, I tried the YouTube streaming last year, but it wasn’t available in the UK. I’ve just looked at the USTVNow and it says there’s a try it for free option so I think I will see if I can do a trial free registration tomorrow and see if I can sneak in the parade. Would be very exciting if I can as every year I scour the Internet in vain for an option!

I've only read your post op, but if it's a bigger deal than Christmas to US families then I'm trying to imagine how i would feel sending the dc to school on Christmas day and yes it would feel very strange. Think I'd be tempted to take them out for a day at that age.

You won't get a fine for one day, who cares if its unauthorised?

Thanksgiving here has become a big deal compared to when I was a child in the 80s. I think it's because it's a holiday that everyone can celebrate. It's not a religious holiday but the reason behind it is wholesome unlike a holiday like bonfire night.

I just get tonnes of FB posts from friends and family who go to the parade- way snarkier commentary too.
I've just had a three line whip from the kids about the necessity of succotash, which I like, and marshmallows on the sweet potatoes, which I think are vile.

Agreed, Want2b! Burning Catholics in effigy is disgusting and I'm not sure why this is such an unquestioned tradition.
My mum taught English to immigrants and always found that Thanksgiving was a common unifier they could latch onto no matter where they came from. Of course, it is also the commemoration of the importation of religious intolerance and Christian fundamentalism into North America and the start date of the massacre of Native Americans so, maybe I shouldn't be judgy.

The UK borrows Thanksgiving (well the retailers do anyway)
but the USA does not borrow Boxing Day.
funny old world

TBH when I was little, halloween was hardly a thing in the UK
it was all "penny for the guy"
then again at the time Catholics were bombing wantonly all over the UK so that might not have helped

nowadays its all 'trick or treat'

Halloween was always big in Scotland. turnip lanterns and guising though

I am the American in our household (born there but moved back to Europe with my parents when I was 8 months old). So I do try and cook a version of TG dinner on TG day most years (I run into M&S and get a turkey breast, do roast potatoes and some veg - often including sweetcorn and green beans, but not things like pumpkin pie).

But its after a normal work-day and school-day for the family. We do have a family chat about thanksgiving and the good things we have to be thankful for.

This year, it has to be eaten on Friday as DH is away on Thursday (not back until well after DD bedtime).

Surely the parade and football are after UK school-times anyway, with the time difference factored in?

I'm surprised though, because I wouldn't expect families to take their children out for Eid, Diwali, vaisakhi, Chinese New Year etc. It would end up quite unmanageable for the school wouldn't it?

Bubble I'm sat here a little amazed it's even a consideration because that's the thing. Where does it stop. As the daughter of an Irish immigrant we were never taken out for st paddys or Halloween both fairly big holidays at home.

We just celebrated as a family later.

Bubble taking out for religious holidays is allowed, a lot of children at my school have the day off for Eid. It’s not too disruptive, just a day a year or sometimes two depending on how it falls.

I didn't know that. Eid is just one religious festival- there are hundreds!

We were in the UK pre-kids but we always celebrated in the Saturday because we had work on Thursday and no way we could cook the whole feast without having the full day available.

I don't see why you can't do it in the evening (but I've never done a thanksgiving).