Thankful

There is no Thanksgiving in Switzerland. I knew that intellectually, but it is so strange to live somewhere that is completely oblivious to the fact that millions of people in America are traveling, gathering together, eating turkey, and watching football. At least for Halloween, there was some acknowledgement of its existence. But, Thanksgiving is literally unknown here. Nonetheless, we managed to have a very nice day with many Swiss modifications.

After the kids got home from school, they helped bake our Thanksgiving dessert – a Swiss fruit and custard torte. I carved the sugarbeet I had bought at the farm into a traditional Swiss räbeliechtli lantern, which we used as part of the centerpiece. The kids helped finish the centerpiece and set the table. When Joe walked in the door from work, our mini Thanksgiving dinner was ready. We had a chicken instead of a turkey, left-over mashed potatoes, and peas. But, compared to our typical light Swiss dinners, this was something special.

After dinner we went to Emily’s school for her Fall program. The theme was fire, and as we arrived there was a large campfire in the middle of about 100 lanterns the children had made, each lit with a candle. We laughed because at the Laternenacht celebration at our school back in Milwaukee, the lanterns were not allowed to be lit with a candle, only battery operated lights. But, here, the 1st and 2nd graders sang and danced among their lanterns, and then paraded with them to a field behind the school for a show by a fire performance squad. I don’t know how to describe this experience, but it involved fiery jump ropes, swinging buckets of fire, a fire juggler and, for the grand finale, a giant baton with fireworks shooting out of it.

We walked home in time to watch the second half of the packers game live. Coincidentally, the kids don’t have school tomorrow because of a teachers conference, so we let them stay up to watch the Packers beat the Lions. A great way to end our day!

Holiday or no holiday, there are still so many things we are thankful for…

• people who are patient and kind when speaking German with me.
• the warmest Fall in Bern in 150 years.
• mountains and rivers and the fact that I can see them from my town.
• a loving extended family, whose love is even more important from far away.
• music, that enriches my life through my choir, my husband’s guitar, and even Swiss toddler songs.
• three beautiful children who keep me on my toes.
• a whole aisle of amazing chocolate at the grocery store.
• and so much more…