Thanksgiving Traditions

Well, it’s finally here.  I’m on my way to Connecticut a day later than expected.  It’s impossible to plan for a sick child.  But he caught a nasty bug and sadly will be missing this year’s festivities.

Don’t feel too badly for Young Master Fussy.  He really has no appetite to speak of, so he won’t be missing much.  The local elementary school indoctrinated him in the classic foods of the holiday, so if he can eat he will be enjoying his popcorn and chocolate chip cookies.

I have no idea what they are teaching him there.

This is when I start sounding like Tevye.  Thanksgiving is all about tradition.  It’s tradition for Aunt N to cook the festive meal.  It’s tradition for me to bring the wine.  It’s tradition for Uncle M to carve the turkey.  And it’s tradition to do all of this in Connecticut.

Because of tradition I flew out there from California in 2001, joining masses of people who were taking to the skies despite the looming threat of another attack.  Because of tradition I flew across the country with a two-month-old.  And because of tradition I am leaving my wife and sick child behind in Albany with a roasted turkey breast, a can of cranberry sauce, a store-bought pumpkin pie, sweet potatoes, popcorn and chocolate chip cookies.

But you and I have another tradition.  Do you remember?

It started last year, and I promised it would be back.  Thankfully the good folks at YouTube haven’t taken it down in the last twelve months.

Thanksgiving is the perfect time for this song. And every year at this time it is played on the radio, but there may be some of you out there who have never heard it. Or people who may have heard a little bit of it, but never really listened to the whole song.  And even if you have heard it, it bears repeating.

I intend to post this every year on the FLB.  It’s a long song.  A long long song.  That has  been sung for an even longer time.  So maybe sit down and take a break with the video, if you have an 18-minute window in your cooking schedule.  Or perhaps after your meal, when you are feeling sluggish and don’t want to talk to your family, excuse yourself and watch these eighteen minutes and thirty six seconds.

It is a fun song. It is a classic song. But it is also an important song. And it all starts on Thanksgiving, so naturally I like to listen to it every year.

Hope you enjoy the song and have a wonderful holiday.