For our group members in the U.S.: Giving Thanks

[Guest guest]

Giving thanks is universal, but Thanksgiving isn't yet

 

Sriram Khe

The Register-Guard, Eugene, Oregon, USA

Nov. 22, 2007

 

Given my accent and distinctly ethnic appearance, it is

no surprise when students ask me whether I celebrate

Thanksgiving. The answer is a no-brainer: Of course,

yes.

 

If I am unable to shake the teacher within me, I might

then use the students' question as a learning opportunity

and ask them whether Native Americans and African-

Americans will be thrilled about Thanksgiving, and

whether their responses could be different from how the

movies depict the day. " Would you be thankful if you

had been brought over as a slave, or if your people were

practically wiped off the face of the Earth? " is my

typical probing question.

 

As I see their eyes glaze over, perhaps even regretting

broaching this topic with me, I lighten it up with my old

joke: The best thing about inviting me to Thanksgiving

supper is that I am an Indian and an American.

 

As is the case with me, there is a good chance that to

most of us Thanksgiving has expanded beyond the

notion of remembering the meal that the early settlers

had with Native Americans. Now, Thanksgiving is a day

for families to get together, with a common theme of

feeling grateful for the good things over the year.

 

In such an understanding, I would think that " giving

thanks " is a universal notion, irrespective of histories,

cultures and traditions. I cannot imagine people in any

culture not being thankful for surviving yet another day,

or for enjoying life with people they cherish.

 

I am sure my parents tried drilling into me such a

concept of life when I was young and, like most kids, I

probably ignored their comments and rolled my eyeballs

way up. In any case, every other day it seemed like we

had a religious event to thank any one of the thousands

of Hindu gods and to pray for the continuation of the

good things.

 

My grandmother, though, was always a tad hesitant to

loudly recognize the good things out of a fear that this

might trigger the onset of unfortunate events. " Don't

laugh too much, " she warned, " because you will end up

crying. " Having experienced too many unfortunate

events, including the death of her husband when she was

only 18 and when her son - my father - was barely a

month-old infant, my grandmother had enough reasons

to temper her optimism with caution.

 

While a day for giving thanks does not seem to have

become quite global, Valentine's Day, on the other

hand, is one of the few that has caught on almost all over

the world. While we might think this is a great idea -

" make love, not war " - apparently even saying " I love

you " can cause controversies. In India the fanatically

minded Hindu nationalists protested Valentine's Day

celebrations because it is a " Western concept. "

 

Yes, it is an irony that India, which is known to many in

the West only for a much misunderstood Kama Sutra,

has quite a few who think celebrating love is not Indian.

In a letter to a moderate mainstream newspaper last

February, one reader suggested that " to avoid further

controversy, the government should restrict, if not

control, the celebrations. " I suppose the Hindu god of

love, Kama, ought to be thanked for making sure that

the sanity prevailed. Of course, love triumphs, and

people in urban India seem to have latched on to

Valentine's Day.

 

Perhaps the reason why a day of giving thanks is not as

universal as it ought to be lies in lighthearted remarks of

a friend, an immigrant herself - she tried to convince

me that Thanksgiving is the day that husbands buy gifts

for their wives. Could it be that a day to give thanks has

not caught on as much as Valentine's Day has because

there is no gift-giving associated with it? If that is

indeed the case, then I have yet another reason to be

thankful.

 

Above all, I am eternally thankful for having had the

opportunity to immigrate to, and become a citizen of,

this wonderful country, and then to move to the paradise

that is the Willamette Valley. I suspect that my wife and

daughter have an additional reason to offer thanks: Over

the years I have resisted the urge to bake a tandoori

turkey!

 

http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.cms.supp

ort.viewStory.cls?cid=25141 & sid=1 & fid=1

[Guest guest]

I have tried to take the history of the United States and take them as lessons

of the past, and to try to keep the spirit of the holidays. I am no Christian,

but I still see some of the holidays associated with Christianity as an

opportunity to celebrate a spiritual-themed significance, and to show respect

for the customs already in this country. I am glad that I am not the only one

who feels the desire to try to respect some of these holidays for similar

reasons.

 

To give a more recent example, I was frustrated over not being able to see my

boyfriend for Christmas, since he wants some space around that time. This

passed over though as I saw it as an opportunity to try to have a good holiday

without him, and I would try to find him a gift as well as a souvenier if I go

travelling during the holidays. I realized that just because things did not

always go my way, and even though my family is very well informal now about

celebrating Christmas, I want to take the time as an opportunity to keep my ego

at bay and do something selfless.

 

And even though I know that the " Thanksgiving Day " may not have happened in the

United States during the time of the pilgrims, I still celebrate it because it

is a tradition, as well as a time to give something or give thanks to the

family. I helped my mother cook some of the vegetarian-friendly foods, and that

was enough for me for the holiday. The time to share love with the family.

 

Anyway, I think I rambled on too much... I hope I did not brush anyone the

wrong way. :-)

 

Jai Ma!

 

Sincerely,

Christina H.

---- msbauju <msbauju wrote:

> Giving thanks is universal, but Thanksgiving isn't yet

>

> Sriram Khe

> The Register-Guard, Eugene, Oregon, USA

> Nov. 22, 2007

>

> Given my accent and distinctly ethnic appearance, it is

> no surprise when students ask me whether I celebrate

> Thanksgiving. The answer is a no-brainer: Of course,

> yes.

>

> If I am unable to shake the teacher within me, I might

> then use the students' question as a learning opportunity

> and ask them whether Native Americans and African-

> Americans will be thrilled about Thanksgiving, and

> whether their responses could be different from how the

> movies depict the day. " Would you be thankful if you

> had been brought over as a slave, or if your people were

> practically wiped off the face of the Earth? " is my

> typical probing question.

>

> As I see their eyes glaze over, perhaps even regretting

> broaching this topic with me, I lighten it up with my old

> joke: The best thing about inviting me to Thanksgiving

> supper is that I am an Indian and an American.

>

> As is the case with me, there is a good chance that to

> most of us Thanksgiving has expanded beyond the

> notion of remembering the meal that the early settlers

> had with Native Americans. Now, Thanksgiving is a day

> for families to get together, with a common theme of

> feeling grateful for the good things over the year.

>

> In such an understanding, I would think that " giving

> thanks " is a universal notion, irrespective of histories,

> cultures and traditions. I cannot imagine people in any

> culture not being thankful for surviving yet another day,

> or for enjoying life with people they cherish.

>

> I am sure my parents tried drilling into me such a

> concept of life when I was young and, like most kids, I

> probably ignored their comments and rolled my eyeballs

> way up. In any case, every other day it seemed like we

> had a religious event to thank any one of the thousands

> of Hindu gods and to pray for the continuation of the

> good things.

>

> My grandmother, though, was always a tad hesitant to

> loudly recognize the good things out of a fear that this

> might trigger the onset of unfortunate events. " Don't

> laugh too much, " she warned, " because you will end up

> crying. " Having experienced too many unfortunate

> events, including the death of her husband when she was

> only 18 and when her son - my father - was barely a

> month-old infant, my grandmother had enough reasons

> to temper her optimism with caution.

>

> While a day for giving thanks does not seem to have

> become quite global, Valentine's Day, on the other

> hand, is one of the few that has caught on almost all over

> the world. While we might think this is a great idea -

> " make love, not war " - apparently even saying " I love

> you " can cause controversies. In India the fanatically

> minded Hindu nationalists protested Valentine's Day

> celebrations because it is a " Western concept. "

>

> Yes, it is an irony that India, which is known to many in

> the West only for a much misunderstood Kama Sutra,

> has quite a few who think celebrating love is not Indian.

> In a letter to a moderate mainstream newspaper last

> February, one reader suggested that " to avoid further

> controversy, the government should restrict, if not

> control, the celebrations. " I suppose the Hindu god of

> love, Kama, ought to be thanked for making sure that

> the sanity prevailed. Of course, love triumphs, and

> people in urban India seem to have latched on to

> Valentine's Day.

>

> Perhaps the reason why a day of giving thanks is not as

> universal as it ought to be lies in lighthearted remarks of

> a friend, an immigrant herself - she tried to convince

> me that Thanksgiving is the day that husbands buy gifts

> for their wives. Could it be that a day to give thanks has

> not caught on as much as Valentine's Day has because

> there is no gift-giving associated with it? If that is

> indeed the case, then I have yet another reason to be

> thankful.

>

> Above all, I am eternally thankful for having had the

> opportunity to immigrate to, and become a citizen of,

> this wonderful country, and then to move to the paradise

> that is the Willamette Valley. I suspect that my wife and

> daughter have an additional reason to offer thanks: Over

> the years I have resisted the urge to bake a tandoori

> turkey!

>

> http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.cms.supp

> ort.viewStory.cls?cid=25141 & sid=1 & fid=1

>

>

>