*flickr photograph originally uploaded by tje407
While driving home from the U.S. on the weekend we saw many of these inflatable turkeys on people's lawns and we couldn't help but laugh. If you have one of these please, I mean no offense. We all decorate in the way that pleases us most. But you must understand that holiday decorating isn't really a major focus here in Canada. We decorate at the Christmas season with anything from grand displays a la National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation to sedate displays of just lights or a wreath. And there are some who decorate with inflatable snowmen, santas, etc. Thanksgiving? It's a day with a meal and not much fanfare.
So to see these big turkeys on peoples lawns just struck us as "out there". We kept thinking what our neighbours would think if we brought one of these home and put it out next Thanskgiving. They'd be calling us turkeys!
photograph from Good Housekeeping
On a more serious note, I would like to wish all of my American friends or those who are not American but live in the U.S. a very blessed and happy Thanksgiving whether you are with family or friends or even having a microwave turkey dinner on your own (and I hope that's not the case).
We here in Canada still enjoy your Thanksgiving as we see the Macy's Day parade on t.v. and the football games are shown. I think I'm going to slip a turkey in the oven for our dinner tonight and surprise my family. We only ever have turkey for special occasions and while I won't eat it but will have the veggies, I think giving thanks for so much in our lives doesn't have to require a special day.
Enjoy your weekends and your Black Friday shopping should you be brave enough to face the crowds!
*I've added an addendum to the comments section -- lest anyone be misguided in thinking that I am critiquing or making fun of how others decorate I am not. This is about only one of the many differences between Canada and the United States, more of which I will be talking about in the next days.
19 comments:
I think you should have brought one of those inflatable things back for next year’s Thanksgiving. ;)
You watch football?? Or it just happens to be on?
Enjoy your minus-the-turkey dinner!
Beth, maybe I could have found a 2fer...one for me and one for you!! :)
Thank you, Sherry.
I don't know about the Northern areas of the USA, but I do have a theory about *over decorating* down here where we are. There is no real fall. We don't have the beautiful tree changes -- the gorgeous colors and sometimes we don't have the cool/cold weather. So, to tell the difference between one day and the next -- we over decorate! Just my excuse for enjoying everyone else *carried away*!!!!!!!!!!!
I want to say here as well and I'll point this out in my post, as I said to Snap in an email, I'm not critiquing anyone's style of decorating. I understand how there is a compensation for the change in season and I have seen some amazing displays done at various holiday times.
What I am getting at here is that we in Canada are so very, very, conservative in many ways and how we celebrate holidays like Thanksgiving (nothing at all like it's done in the U.S. -- very sedate), or Halloween or Christmas is by comparison like looking at one end of the spectrum to the other.
You are so right - we can be so very low-key here in Canada when it comes to decorating for the holidays.
Had you found a 2fer, I would have been thrilled to put one on my lawn - shake things up around here!
We seem to have lots of inflatable santas by us and it drives me mad!
Happy thanksgiving to all. I agree with you Sherry, we shouldnt have one day in which to give thanks, we should be thankful each and every day, which I am
xx
i was just watching bits of the macy parade on cnn just now... and thinking that there are an awful lot of inflated things... and now the inflated turkey on the lawn :) does it not fly away? ;)
Happy Thanksgiving, Sherry Lee. You make me smile!
LOL...I don't really understand the whole inflatable turkey thing (and I celebrate Thanksgiving.) But it does make for a good laugh. I will have a wonderful weekend and don't have to worry about the black Friday shopping...as I already finished my shopping...woo hoo! Have a wonderful weekend too!
Thanks for your comments and blessings for a great day. It was lovely. However we celebrate it in a very conservative way. No decorations outside at all. We just have a nice dinner , enjoy each others company but all the fanfare I leave it to others.
Coming home I saw one whole street already lit for Christmas. And a turkey on a lawn!
Your right though there are so many differences from country to country.
I think we should give thanks daily for what we are blessed with.
no offense taken at all - i think they're funny too.
hope you enjoyed your day and all of the fun to be had.
After reading all the American blogs ... I sure wish I had some turkey today ... and pumpkin pie.
I wonder if the inflatable turkey is only hot in the NE USA. I've not seen one here in the Midwest. Not that we don't have odd yard decorations. One of my neighbors still has orange lights up on her house for Halloween.
I'm glad you had a nice trip and have arrived home safely.
That turkey - LOL! But really, it is a good thing that there are differences - how dull things would be, if there weren't!
I'm so glad you had a fun getaway in the States Sherry. The subtle differences between our countries always fascinates me because as our closest neighbors I always think of Canadians as just like us. We share many things but there are differences, like all the Tim Hortons on every corner up there! lol. I have always thought one of our blessings was to have such wonderful neighbors on our northern border:>)
: ) so cute! we have a neighbor who loves his football team and he has an his favorite inflatable player in his yard. funny!
I discovered yesterday that it really doesn't matter if the number at the table is small, it is still the same about of WORK! WHEW! No shopping for me...I'm dragging out the garlands.
**kisskiss** Deb
oh yes! Decorating here is rather crazy if I say so myself,,,but I'm guilty as well. I love it. I got my tree up Friday because i was not going out in the crowds. I still have the outside to do and the rest of my house.
You should see peoples lawns here at Halloween!!!!! It is almost as crazy as Christmas. We do a little Thanksgiving but not much.
Neat that you made a turkey! Great leftovers.
Sherry,
Going backwards to catch up on what I missed while away! I can understand your amusement. Mine took a different form when I moved from living in the NE to Florida. My Christmas I hated everything "plastic" about the decorations here (actually lived in Fort Lauderdale then) I mean when the sun is totally bright and the temp is 85, seeing plastic wreaths on doors and such made me gag. I was such a "yankee" and missed the NE where the decorations would be the same by it was cold and usually snow. Now that I have lived almost half my life in both NY and Fl I see the beauty in both. What I think is so "funny" in a cute way is that the inflated decorations use power to keep them inflated an lite. Many people conserving energy will only turn them on at night, hence they lay on the grass in a heap during the day. My young grandson came in crying the first time he saw his deflated in the yard. "Mommy, they all melted". I think sharing customs and differences helps us grow and learn and adds a smile to our lives. I have been in Canada once, when I was 8. All I remember is being served "goats milk" instead of cow's milk. When you are 8 that is huge! Have a beautiful day.
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