Somehow, time has flown and it’s already Thanksgiving week. I barely noticed until seeing a bunch of people posting about it online. In Spain, the holiday excitement moves on to Christmas as soon as Halloween is over! I know, I know, you’re probably like ‘Duh Kristina. Thanksgiving is an American holiday!‘ And you’re right, but Thanksgiving is so much more than an American holiday. It’s more than turkey and cranberry sauce and college football.

One of the teachers at my school asked me what Thanksgiving is about. I quickly responded giving her the Spanish translation, ‘Dia de Accion de Gracias,’ which translates to ‘day of giving thanks.’ She knew that, but wanted to know more. Why do we celebrate? Isn’t it a bigger deal than Christmas even? Well, yes. The ‘why’ of Thanksgiving is a loaded question I didn’t have time to answer, but the second part? Yes. At least in my family, it’s a bigger deal than Christmas. It’s the one time of year we all get together and the rest of the world seems to stop. No work, no responsibilities, just food, family and togetherness. *Yes, I’m aware of how cheesy that sounds.* 

[Insert sappy homesick music here.]

I know I can’t be the only American abroad feeling this way, right? So, I thought I’d give some helpful tips on celebrating Thanksgiving when you’re abroad. I’m going to take them into account myself!

5 Tips:

1. Celebrate with some kind of Thanksgiving meal. Whether that means your new coworkers, friends or just roommates, make one – or all – of your favorite dishes to share with them!
2. Practice thankfulness. Some people may do this daily – my hats off to you – but take a few minutes to think about or jot down what you’re thankful for. Dig a little deeper here.
3. Give back. Whether that means donating a little extra money, time or energy, pay it forward. Spread your thankfulness onto someone else. Generosity is the gift that keeps on giving.
4. Watch a holiday movie. Yeah, I had to throw this one in here. I love watching The Family Stone on Thanksgiving every year, so I’m going to do just that! If you can’t think of a good one, there are plenty of cheesy options on Netflix, even in Europe.
5. Spend some time chatting with family/friends back home. You might be able to squeeze in a quick phone call or FaceTime before things in the US get hectic, or maybe be called in during dinner! That’s my plan!

5 Things I’m Thankful For:

1. My health. Madrid has treated me pretty well! Except for a few food items that disagreed with me, my body has been doing good! Plus I walk way more here and am so much more inclined to be active.
2. My family. Yes, it seems generic. Specifically, I’m thankful for how close my family is and that even though I’m across the pond and six hours ahead, they’re all only a text or phone call away.
3. My friends’ health and happiness. Two of my best friends just married the loves of their lives and are in absolute bliss. Another one, who lives in Chico, is safe and was spared the worst of the Camp Fire in California. I’m also thankful that my two of my closest relationships haven’t changed at all with the distance.
4. My overall situation. I’m living a dream right now, are you kidding! Sure, there have been adjustments, but I’m here! I’m living in Spain.
5. My parents. Specifically the fact that they forced me to learn, speak and practice Spanish my entire life, despite me not wanting to. People are constantly blown away by my ‘excellent Spanish’ considering I’m American, and all that credit goes to my folks. Danke schoen guys 🙂

If you’re an American celebrating Thanksgiving abroad, I’d love to hear how you celebrate! Let me know!