[listens to the crickets chirping all over Xanga] Wow, that turkey really knocks you guys out, doesn't it?

It's strange being a foreigner here. I know, I know, Xanga is supposed to be open to anyone in the world, but it is an American entity at heart. The language and content mostly reflects that. The fact that this place is deserted right now is a strong indicator too.

We don't have Thanksgiving in Australia. We do have Australia Day, where we just go to the beach or watch the cricket or bung a couple of snags on the barbie. (For those of you who don't speak fluent Australian, have no fear. We are not throwing men in touch with their own emotions on an open flame, or on small plastic dolls for that matter. To 'throw a snag on the barbie' involves barbecuing sausages. Perfectly harmless. We do not, at any time, throw 'shrimp' on the barbie. No self-respecting Australian eats shrimp. We eat prawns. Now back to the blog at hand.) It's not really a time for family to gather and celebrate.

The closest thing we have to the heart of Thanksgiving is Christmas. Now, from what I understand in the US, Christmas is not that big a deal over there. Yeah, there are presents and food and family, but it runs a very poor second to Thanksgiving.

Over here, Christmas is huge. Gigantic. It is the Australian Thanksgiving.

Now let me clarify a few things here. Yes, we do celebrate Christmas in Australia. This is for the benefit of one of my readers who once asked me that very question. It's worth remembering that, like the US, Australia was once a British colony. We are a lot like you. We just have cooler accents. [grin]

The big difference between our Christmas and your Thanksgiving is that our Christmas is held in the middle of summer. Same time of year, December 25th, but you have to remember our seasons are all arse-about down here.

There is no "Walking in a Winter Wonderland". Hell, we don't even get snow unless you live in alpine regions. There is no skating, no snowball fights, no sipping mulled wine in front of an open fire. You're much more likely to find us in the backyard, perspiring gently in the 90F heat (remember, I live in one of the colder parts of Australia), watching the kidlets run under the sprinkler.

Despite this, we cling desperately to old traditions. Yes, we roast turkeys for lunch. We bake hams. We serve hot desserts. Imagine eating Thanksgiving lunch on the Fourth of July.

Yep, now you're getting it.

I have spent Thanksgiving in the US once before. I don't think it was a typical Thanksgiving experience. We were driving from Syracuse, NY to Knoxville, TN that day. So there was no huge gathering of people around a roasted bird.

As we had such a long way to go, we didn't get to linger long over the lunch we did have. It didn't make much of an impression on me, other than the fact that it is the only time I have been handed a plate that consisted entirely of yellow food. Which was pretty damn scary. But one of the things that struck me most was seeing McDonalds closed DURING THE DAY. This shocked me and gave me a much stronger feeling of how important Thanksgiving was to the US than anything I'd read or seen before.

A bit of a sad indictment, I know but it did make a strong impression on me.

So what is my point?

No real point, it just struck me that despite everything, I am still a stranger in a strange land.

But that's what makes it so much fun here.

Happy turkey day.

This is for Rhaego who has way too much time on his hands.