Thanksgiving | Trinity Talks Podcast

Hello everyone and welcome to Trinity Talks and happy Thanksgiving!

We're so glad that you're joining us here for this Thanksgiving episode of Trinity Talks

and I'm joined here by Suresh.

Welcome Suresh.

Thank you very much.

Thanks for having me.

Yeah, well, so Suresh and I were just going to sit down and talk a little bit about Thanksgiving

and so I know you've done a bit of history and research into how Thanksgiving started

in Canada so maybe you want to start sharing some of that knowledge with us?

Yeah, I was curious because I mean, I got to Canada about 20 plus years ago, but this

season, you know, the rest of the world celebrates the Harvest Festival Thanksgiving.

So it wasn't totally new, but historically because I read up some sites and I realized

that the big Thanksgiving south of the border, we proceeded that.

We were like 43 years earlier.

Okay.

That was one.

And secondly, I ran into an article that the Time magazine had done and that's showing

the differences between the Thanksgiving in the United States and in Canada.

And they said, unlike the Americans, the Canadians give thanks because they're not Americans.

Okay.

I thought it was funny, but they had a point there because at the time when this started

in Canada, the Civil War was going on and everybody was trying to escape north and coming

here and saying, oh, thank God we're not down there amongst.

That was one, but otherwise it is the Thanksgiving is.

I just saw that when the parliament officially declared Thanksgiving as a holiday, they called

it a day of general Thanksgiving to almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada

has been blessed.

And that still remains there today.

Okay.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And so Thanksgiving, yeah, as you said, it's a time where we give thanks for this bountiful

harvest and so obviously food plays a big role in Thanksgiving.

And I know at my Thanksgiving table, we would often have turkey and potatoes and gravy and

different vegetables and usually some sort of a pie for dessert.

Does that sound like what you might have?

Yes.

For the last 20 years, yeah.

I mean, we have our family plus an extended family, a couple of guests that, you know,

the dining table has like 10 people in there.

In our family, the problem was half loved turkey and they couldn't have a Thanksgiving

without turkey and the other half didn't like.

They needed a roast beef.

Okay.

Now, when you look at putting them in the oven, each needs four or five hours and I'm

the chef.

So that was a lot of strategy, but we got better at it.

But the rest of the stuff is the same.

You have the harvest vegetables and all of that.

Like any parts of the world celebrating harvest festival, I guess.

Yeah.

And actually I was talking with Libby this week, who's our worship director here, and

she was saying she's going to have 16 people over for her Thanksgiving dinner and they're

going to have turkey, but they're also going to be having a leg of lamb.

So that also sounds quite good.

Yeah.

I mean, turkey has their affection I guess, but not everybody goes for it.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And so, as you said, that there's often a large group of people at your house and Libby's

having 16 people at her house.

So obviously gathering with friends and family is another really important part of Thanksgiving.

And I asked some of our friends here at Trinity about who they gather with for Thanksgiving.

And some folks sent us in some photos.

So I think the first photo that we have here is of Jordan's family.

Yeah.

So this is Jordan with his family all gathered around the table last year.

It looks like at this point the meal is all over because they're sitting around there

playing cards.

There's I guess 10 or yeah, around 10 people there.

Yeah.

Just enjoying their Thanksgiving meal.

Yeah.

That's, I mean, besides where it started in giving thanks for the abundance and the blessings,

it's become a family affair, right?

I mean, a time to catch up and nothing better than breaking bread to engage with family

and friends.

For sure.

And Lisa also sent us a photo of her family.

This was back in 2020 when COVID was sort of still happening.

So they couldn't all gather inside.

So you can see they're all gathered around on the patio there.

They've got their warm mugs.

There's probably something warm in there, some cocoa or coffee or something.

And there's a patio heater there.

So yeah, another great way to gather.

Yeah.

I remember those days we insisted that everybody coming to our table would have to take a test.

Yes.

Yeah, those were the days.

Glad it's over.

Yes, me too.

Me too.

Yeah.

And speaking of gathering outside, Alex, who's our media director here, said he often goes

camping with his family over the Thanksgiving.

And so he sent us some pictures.

You can see there Alex and his brother and their dog going out for a hike, it looks like.

And I think there's another picture there of Alex and his brother with his mom.

Yeah.

I suppose it's one of the last few days you could do that before it starts to get cold.

That's another thing for us Canadians is, I mean, it marks the next oncoming season

and here's your last chance, get out, do it.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And the beautiful weather, I think that's one of the things, fall is one of my favorite

seasons because it's a beautiful season and a great time to just go out and see all of

the colorful leaves and enjoy some of the cooler weather and things like that.

Yeah, I'm a photographer and a drone pilot and this season's like, I mean, it's crazy.

Yeah.

Talking about Thanksgiving stories, I was leading the session for our life group and

we had Deb and Dwayne, Dwayne's next captain of Air Canada flights.

They did one Thanksgiving, they ended up in Peru.

Okay.

And they had this lovely barbecue meat and our man was really thoroughly enjoying and

then he asked the host who was very gracious because they were visitors from abroad and

what is this?

And he said, it's cake.

I said, okay, it sounds like something good.

So he asked his friend, what exactly is cake?

He said, you know, those guinea pigs you saw when we walked in, it's a delicacy.

And I read up, they have about 25 million and it's equivalent to your Turkey and many

parts of Central America.

So you know, you've got to figure out what you're eating.

So yeah, yeah.

It's good.

I suppose different meats for different places for sure.

Yeah.

So when I was a kid, we obviously had Thanksgiving, but there was also just lots of sort of fall

traditions and things that happened.

So one of the things in the area where I grew up was there was a pumpkin people festival.

And so in this small town, there were all of these pumpkin people.

So they're kind of like scarecrows where there are people that got a wood frame stuffed with

hay and they have these pumpkin heads.

And so every year there is a different theme for these pumpkin people.

And so I think this year, this picture that we're seeing now was from quite a while back.

But I think there was like a British UK sort of theme because we have the royal family

and we have kiss and things like that.

But yeah, so we would drive around town and see all of these different pumpkin people.

And that's a really sort of fun fall memory that I have.

I suppose growing up outside of Canada, fall looks a little bit different.

Oh yeah.

I mean, this is one thing I'm so thankful for is for the four seasons, right?

I mean, I probably crib over winter, but I mean, you wouldn't have learned to appreciate

one without the other.

So I spent a lot of my time in the tropicals.

I mean, I did work in almost every continent in the world except Antarctica.

So it's nice to be warm throughout the year, but it's no different from the next season.

So yeah.

So looking forward to winter, getting out of winter and fall is the prettiest of the

of the lot.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure.

Love it, yes.

Yeah.

And actually, I have a friend who goes to our church here, Rupali, who grew up in India,

but she said that she always dreamed about seeing the fall leaves in Canada.

I guess she had seen pictures or seen it in movies and things.

And so she moved to Canada.

And one of the reasons that she picked Canada was specifically to come to see the fall leaves.

You're not disappointed for sure.

And so we have this picture here of Rupali enjoying the beautiful red maple leaves in

the fall.

Yeah.

When I saw those paintings of those, you know, brightly colored trees, I really didn't believe

I thought the artist was taking too much of creative freedom.

I see that.

And I mean, he couldn't really do justice to what nature can do.

Yeah.

So it is beautiful.

Absolutely beautiful.

Yeah, it is.

Yeah.

So what are some of your favorite fall memories?

Food and family do come first because, yeah, my brother and family and our family and the

girls bring a couple of friends.

And it's a good time.

Like I said, breaking bread is a great stuff.

And, you know, having a break.

And then we invariably go out to take some pictures or go to some harsh farms and look

at the pumpkins.

I never figured out why pumpkins figured so, so center of everything.

But yeah, they look good.

That's been almost every year.

This is the first year that we, me and my wife was here, Deepa, we were alone because

the girls have decided to be globetrotting.

One's in Japan and one's in Austria.

Okay.

So, so I don't know, we'll go in, you know, a small thing somewhere.

Sure.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And so what was it like for you coming into Canada, like you said, that Thanksgiving is

a bit different than some of the other harvest festivals?

So how did you sort of learn about Thanksgiving?

Harvest festival in India is very much like in England, you know, people brought in the

best of their produce in the earlier years, but lately it's your preserves like your jams

and marmalades and pickles and what have you.

And it was auctioned off.

And the money went into a particular fund that took care of seniors and I don't know,

widows and orphans and so on and so forth.

So it was exorbitantly priced to bid up and take it to a level so you could create funds.

I think that that goes all over Germany and most parts of Europe and some parts of Asia.

That is the tradition.

Yeah.

But in tropicals, the harvest festival takes a couple of months.

It depends whether you're up north or down south.

Sure.

But coming here, giving thanks for the abundance and the blessings was somewhat similar.

But throw in the weather and throw in the turkey and the pumpkin.

I suppose we have got on board so much that we've been doing exactly the same for 20 years.

That's the beauty of Canada.

You know, you buy into it and that makes you a Canadian.

Yeah.

So are there certain special foods that you would have at harvest time in India that would

be different than what we might have here?

Mostly fresh, like we would do with root vegetables here.

We would do with fresh produce there, like zucchini and then gourds and stuff and make

little vegetable side dishes that go with bread or rice or whatever.

It depends which part of India, but India in their harvest festival do not focus on

live animals.

So it's not so much meat.

It was more of the abundance of harvest from their farming stuff.

So it was usually, especially the state province I come from, which is down south, it's an

all vegetarian meal.

Maybe a fish you could throw in, but not meat.

So it was a hugely different thing.

Yeah, yeah.

Very different for sure.

So I thought just to end off, it might be fun to have a couple of would you rather questions.

Yeah.

So the first question that I have, would you rather cook the meal or wash the dishes?

Oh, I love my cooking.

Okay.

And I suppose I learned to be a good cook so that I never have to wash dishes.

Okay.

It should answer your question.

Yes.

I think that would be the same for me.

I would definitely rather cook.

Washing the dishes, I mean, it's nice when they're all done, but it's not creative enough

for me.

No.

Okay.

So would you rather in the traditional Thanksgiving meal have no potatoes or no stuffing?

I'd rather go for the potatoes.

Okay.

Potato fads.

I've done a few years doing the stuffing.

Probably on the side.

I never gave it to the bird.

Okay.

Yeah.

I think.

What about you?

Yeah.

I think for me, I think I would rather keep the stuffing.

I do like potatoes as well, but I think with all of the other vegetables, the stuffing just

has a special flavor that I like.

Do you do it with a lot of sausages and stuff or is it just plain?

No.

So usually, so to be fair, I haven't cooked a lot of stuffing.

I eat my mom's stuffing and other people's stuffing, but no, usually it would be, so

my mom actually recently has been getting some turkeys that come with the stuffing already

in them.

Okay.

Okay.

And so it's just got that nice herby flavor that I really like.

Would you rather dress up like a turkey or dress up like a pumpkin?

So you said the turkey and the pumpkin, those are the two things.

I've never thought about either of them, but I know what the turkey stands for and where

it comes from.

Yes.

I've figured out where's the pumpkin's role in the whole thing.

Okay.

So I'd go for turkey.

Go for the turkey.

Okay.

I think me too.

I think, I don't know, a turkey just seems more fun.

You could have more fun with it.

Yeah.

From after what Rob told us about raising his turkeys.

Yes.

Yes.

That's right.

Would you rather have pumpkin pie with whipped cream or apple pie with ice cream?

I'm an apple fan.

Okay.

We buy it out of the notion that you've got to have it for Thanksgiving.

Yes.

But otherwise I'd always go for apple pie.

Okay.

You?

I think I'm more of a pumpkin pie person.

I mean, I like both.

Yeah.

But maybe I would put the ice cream on the pumpkin pie because I like ice cream too.

That's good.

But let me ask you another version of that.

Would you have a pumpkin pie right through the year if it were available or would you

have only apple pie?

No.

See, I got you there.

Yes.

It could be apple pie.

Yeah.

I mean, I like other kinds of pies too.

So yesterday I made a lemon meringue pie.

I love that stuff.

Yeah.

So that's really good.

Yeah.

And my mom in the summertime makes a really good strawberry pie.

Oh.

Good.

Just lots of different kinds of pie.

I haven't learned to bake because it calls for too much precision and I just throw in

everything until it tastes good and that's it.

Sure.

Yeah.

Good stuff.

Yeah.

Would you rather eat your Thanksgiving dinner with chopsticks or with your hands?

I mean, I've never caught the art of eating with chopsticks, you know, around to pat.

I mean, I can do it because I'm forced to, but with the hand, yeah, we Indians learn

to eat with the hands.

That's true.

Yes.

There you go.

There was a time I think when it was Gary and Nan were at home and we were teaching

them how to eat with hands.

Okay.

I'm sorry.

They got an F, so.

Okay.

Yeah.

I think I would probably go with my hands too.

I'm, if people have tried at different points to teach me how to use chopsticks, but I'm

not a very good student.

It splits apart and drops off.

But I, my daughter is in Korea, so I guess they are totally chopsticky.

Yes.

Yes.

Well, hopefully she's learning well.

Yeah, she's good.

Yeah.

That's good.

Yeah.

There's one thought I'd like to live, which I can't remember the name of the person,

Dawson.

He said being grateful or gratefulness is a default mode.

You could be grateful, but to be giving thanks or thankfulness is intentional.

You really need to do it.

So be thankful, not just grateful.

Yeah.

Yeah.

That's a great note to end on.

Thank you.

Yeah.

So happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

I hope that wherever you are and whatever your circumstances are this weekend, that

you will find some time for gratitude and joy.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Okay.

Have a great weekend.

Have a great weekend.

See you all later.