A New Kind of Thanksgiving

There’s a lot of intrigue in Florence surrounding the uniquely American holiday that is Thanksgiving. While my Italian friends do not get the day off work or fully understand the meaning behind the holiday, they are working diligently on finding friendly Americans who might invite them to partake in some good, old-fashioned American gluttony.

As much as you think Thanksgiving might be different in Italy (or at least I did), it’s turning out to feel pretty much the same. The colors of Florence as much the same as home right now. Everywhere you look you see reds, yellows and oranges draping over the city landscape and throughout the piazzas. The air has a crispness to it that you expect come Thanksgiving day, and the planning for such a feast entails a long list of To-Do’s.

But as you would also imagine, there are of course a few differences. Instead of going to the supermarket, or Costo as it may be for many, getting everything you need requires heading to various markets and specialty stores to find those sweet potatoes, the pecans and let’s not forget the tacchino. The scene at the dinner table changes too. Instead of boisterous family members shouting over each other and the football game on in the background, this year will include a table of mixed friends, both Italians and Americans, giving thanks together for this new experience (and hopefully an un-burnt turkey).