Learn a little insight into one of the major American holidays, Thanksgiving
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| Thanksgiving |
| "Ugh. I'm stuffed." |
| "Me, too." |
| "I couldn't eat another thing. Well, maybe a piece of pumpkin pie. A tiny one. Just a sliver." |
| "Ooh. That sounds good. Maybe with some ice cream. A small scoop, please." |
| "I have to loosen my belt." |
| The turkey carcass sits sideways in the roasting pan, forgotten until someone is motivated to wash the humongous pile of dishes teetering in the sink. Ice continues to melt in abandoned glasses of iced, sweet tea, and rings of condensation run together on the Formica counter. I slouch on the sofa between my father-in-law and my husband, both of whom are snoring loudly. Football plays on the television. |
| This is the aftermath of two weeks' worth of planning, shopping, cleaning, and decorating. I watched two dozen cooking shows about how to roast the perfect maple syrup turkey, make the perfect cranberry sauce accented with orange zest, and mix the perfect flaky pie crust. I spent hours in at least four different grocery stores trying to find the oyster mushrooms for the dressing and Tasso ham for the green beans. I scrubbed the bathroom floor on my hands and knees like my mother taught me and decorated the front door with Indian corn and multicolored gourds. |
| My father-in-law belches in his sleep. |
| I hear china clinking. My mother-in-law can't stand it anymore. She has to clean. Feeling guilty, I get up to help her. |
| "Sit down, sit down," she says. "I'll get this." |
| I smile and say, "I'll help." |
| The remains of the bird go into a plastic container, and my stomach rumbles as I anticipate tomorrow's turkey chowder. |
| What are you most thankful for and why? |
25 Comments
HideThanksgiving
"Ugh. I'm stuffed."
"Me, too."
"I couldn't eat another thing. Well, maybe a piece of pumpkin pie. A tiny one. Just a sliver."
"Ooh. That sounds good. Maybe with some ice cream. A small scoop, please."
"I have to loosen my belt."
The turkey carcass sits sideways in the roasting pan, forgotten until someone is motivated to wash the humongous pile of dishes teetering in the sink. Ice continues to melt in abandoned glasses of iced, sweet tea, and rings of condensation run together on the Formica counter. I slouch on the sofa between my father-in-law and my husband, both of whom are snoring loudly. Football plays on the television.
This is the aftermath of two weeks' worth of planning, shopping, cleaning, and decorating. I watched two dozen cooking shows about how to roast the perfect maple syrup turkey, make the perfect cranberry sauce accented with orange zest, and mix the perfect flaky pie crust. I spent hours in at least four different grocery stores trying to find the oyster mushrooms for the dressing and Tasso ham for the green beans. I scrubbed the bathroom floor on my hands and knees like my mother taught me and decorated the front door with Indian corn and multicolored gourds.
My father-in-law belches in his sleep.
I hear china clinking. My mother-in-law can't stand it anymore. She has to clean. Feeling guilty, I get up to help her.
"Sit down, sit down," she says. "I'll get this."
I smile and say, "I'll help."
The remains of the bird go into a plastic container, and my stomach rumbles as I anticipate tomorrow's turkey chowder.
What are you most thankful for and why?
Hello May,
Thanks for taking the time to comment.
It's always great to hear from our students.
Feel free to shoot through any questions you have throughout your studies.
Cheers,
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
Hi,
What is the meaning of " I hear china clinking."
Hello Aydin,
Thank you for your comment. 😄
"I hear china clinking" means 'I hear movement from the china (plates and bowls) - the meal is getting ready.'
Enjoy your studies!
Cheers,
Eva
Team EnglishClass101.com
IMHO, the following words should be included into the vocabulary:
+ sliver (it is already included)
- Formica counter
- Tasso ham
- gourd
- chowder OR turkey chowder ? (is it somehow soup?)
I am agree with @ToughTo DealWith
Hi, what do "I hear china clinking." mean exactly ? China means porcelain something here ??
Hi Nisey,
Thank you for posting.
Please check out this lesson for more information on Thanksgiving Day:
https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/video-culture-class-american-holidays-5-thanksgiving-day/
Hope this helps! In case of any questions, please feel free to contact us.
Sincerely,
Cristiane
Team EnglishClass101.com
When I was little, we never celebrated Thanksgiving Day because it wasn't part of our culture. Now that I am married and since my husband is American I had to "celebrate it" but honestly I don't know the exact meaning of this holiday. I guess I need to do my research about this celebration 😊
Hello Ahmed,
Thank you for posting. A "flaky" pie crust is really buttery and is thicker than a tortilla or phyllo dough wrap, but much thinner than a slice of bread or most pizza crusts. This really indicates the buttery nature of the crust, which makes the crust break apart in small layers, or "flakes".
Let us know if you have any questions.
Cheers,
Patricia
Team EnglishClass101.com
Hello, does flaky pie crust mean thin crust?
Hi ToughTo DealWith,
Many countries associate eating a lot of good food with holidays and celebrations, and that's still the same even though there aren't any food shortages. Holidays are when you can eat what you want without worrying about diets!
Kellie
Team EnglishClass101.com