The Tradition of Change
Before the last Jack o”lantern candle melts away, Christmas decorations fill the stores around here. Are you, too, having a hard time finding pretty Thanksgiving decorations for home and hearth? Considering the fact that T-day is my favorite holiday in the year, I’m a bit disappointed that a day dedicated to eating irresponsibly, talking excessively, laughing frequently, and relaxing robustly is so terribly overlooked.
What do you plan to do for Thanksgiving this year? In the years since my beloved mother’s passing, my husband and I packed generous sandwiches, a Thermos of hot soup, another of rich cocoa, and headed to the zoo for the day. In spite of most of the buildings and all of the vendors being closed, we had a great time walking through the zoo, almost to the exclusion of anyone else.
We saw various animals being shepherded through the pathways from one enclosure to another, or perhaps it was simply an after-lunch stroll with their keeper? Even if clouds rolled in, we took our time visiting with the cold-weather animals while enjoying the dim holiday lights strung in anticipation of the following night’s big reveal.
By the second year we spent Thanksgiving at the zoo, we had learned to pack cushions to sit upon. Those metal picnic tables and benches are very cold in November! We also learned to carry gloves and hats and to wear layers since a sunny 10am start might not hold true through a 5pm closing.
Sadly for us, but happily for the staff, the zoo has now closed for Thanksgiving. I imagine the keepers and crew are still working, but they don’t have to maneuver flocks of flamingoes or a waddle of penguins around the half dozen or so oohing and ahhing public.
Our current plan for Thanksgiving is to spend the day at a … brace yourselves … at an old cemetery. Yes, indeed. We really like older cemeteries and feel rather Victorian sipping our hot chicken soup or stirring our steaming cocoa among the centuries old stones and stories. During the 1800s, cemeteries were more than final resting places for the departed. For many families, they were gathering places where picnics, buggy races, and courting (yup, lovey dovey courting), took place under the trees and among the tombs.
So this Thanksgiving, if you find yourself in need of a change, try picnicking at a local cemetery or visiting your nearby zoo; if it’s open, that is!
