10 Steps to a Terrific Thanksgiving Abroad

This year, I am feeling thankful for the chance to spend Thanksgiving at home with my friends and family in the USA. Last year, I was teaching English abroad in Spain during the holidays. Being away from home is usually pretty painless for me. That is, until the holidays arrive. I was grateful to be in Spain, but the week of Thanksgiving, I began to miss my family more than ever. Thanksgiving is the start of the holiday season. A time where we watch football, overeat, and share our lives with each other. I decided I needed to make my Thanksgiving away from home a memorable experience. These 10 steps will help you host a Terrific Thanksgiving Abroad too: 

1. Call Your Mom

No really, call your mom. Step #1 for hosting a terrific Thanksgiving abroad. 911! Mom I need you! If you want to make Thanksgiving recipes you have been having since your very first Thanksgiving, you need to call your mom. Not only will she be happy to share her recipes with you, but she’ll be happy you called. 

2. Pay Up

Hosting a terrific Thanksgiving abroad comes with a long list of challenges. Finding the right ingredients is one of them. Cranberry sauce in Spain? Yeah, I didn’t think so. Turkey in Argentina, probably not. Pumpkin pie in Israel… If you have the luck of the Pilgrims, and actually find all the ingredients that normally grace the Thanksgiving table, you will likely need to pay top dollar for them. I purchased a measly jar of (get this it was actually Ocean Spray) cranberry sauce in Spain for €8. That’s like $11 for four ounces of cranberry sauce! Hence why I bring up tip #3. 

3. Compromise

This is something you have to do a lot when you live or study abroad, especially when it comes to food. Supermarkets don’t always have your favorite breakfast cereal or name brand snacks. Finding peanut butter can seem impossible, and putting sprinkles on bread for breakfast can become your norm. (Really, that’s what the Dutch do!) Thanksgiving abroad is no different. I started my planning early and scoured the supermarkets in Puerto de Mazarrón, Murcia, Spain for a turkey. I finally thought I found one, but it turned out it was just a chicken with his head still attached. I had to compromise for two whole chickens instead of turkey. Thanksgiving with no turkey! OMG! Honestly, no one would have known if I hadn’t told them.

Then came the Pumpkin Cheesecake. I was willing to give up on the turkey. I prefer chicken anyways. But, the pumpkin cheesecake is my favorite Thanksgiving tradition. It has been in my family for decades. Finding cream cheese was a breeze… but pumpkin. Yeah, right. If you ask a Spanish person for a pumpkin, they hand you a butternut squash or a sweet potato. I adjusted my recipes the best I could and researched alternatives on my favorite website, Pinterest, of course! 

Moral of the story: Be prepared to adjust your menu! This is the whole point of Thanksgiving, isn’t it? Celebrating with new friends and embracing the bounty of the New World. Whichever world that may be. 

4. Get Everyone Involved

Thanksgiving is an American Holiday. My French roommate had never even heard of Thanksgiving until we explained the history to her. Once she understood, her interest in helping grew. She wanted to make us Americans feel at home and she was eager to get involved. Once she saw the stuffing, the cranberry sauce, the butternut squash lasagna, and the gravy she was even more enthralled. She questioned each dish and feared for her life after tasting the stuffing. I caught her in the kitchen the next day, filling her plate with leftovers. She loved the new flavors and being part of a new tradition! 

My British roommate also got involved. She made paper Turkey headbands for all seven of us with her kindergartners. Definitely one of my favorite additions to the table. I would say their first Thanksgiving was indeed terrific. 

5. Embrace Different Traditions

Just because Thanksgiving is an American holiday, does not mean all Americans celebrate the same way. I am from Rhode Island and I made Thanksgiving dinner with a couple from Missouri and a boy from Louisiana. Every state and every family has their own Thanksgiving traditions. Incorporating everyone’s family traditions into your planning will make everyone feel more at home for their Thanksgiving abroad. 

My family is Italian. Our Thanksgiving table differs greatly from most of my friends. In addition to the classically American turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing and cranberry sauce, we have antipasto, Italian wedding soup, stuffed artichokes, and prosciutto on our table. My friend from Louisiana incorporates creole flavors into his Thanksgiving meal and my friends from Missouri are big fans of their green bean casserole. Incorporating everyone’s favorites, is what Thanksgiving is all about. 

6. Share The Responsibilities

You’ve seen your mom wake up at the crack of dawn to start basting the turkey, your grandmother preparing the stuffed artichokes the day before, and your aunt stopping at all the specialty food shops for the things you only get to eat once a year. Cooking Thanksgiving dinner is a lot of work. Being abroad, you won’t get the day off. This leaves you a lot less time to prepare your terrific Thanksgiving abroad. Share the responsibility with your new friends. If your kitchen is anywhere near the size of mine, you will be happy you did. Tiny ovens, miniature stove tops, and doll-sized refrigerators are famous across Europe and most of the world. Cooking under these conditions, it is difficult to keep everything warm and get everything on the table at once. Tell your friends to bring their dishes warm!  If everyone makes something, brings something, or sets something up, your Thanksgiving abroad will be that much more terrific for everyone. 

7. Live Stream the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Football Games

Maybe it’s just me, but nothing makes me feel more cozy than the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. An odd American tradition, but a tradition none the less. I live streamed the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the day’s football games all day long. It reminded me of home to hear some familiar faces broadcasting live, see Snoopy’s face float past Central Park, and watch Santa Claus arrive to ring in the Christmas season. 

8. Be Thankful

Even though you are away from your family and your friends, there is plenty to be thankful for. Living abroad is an amazing and unforgettable opportunity. Be thankful for your Thanksgiving abroad and your new friends. Share your traditions and learn theirs. Next year, you will be back around the table with your family again. Plus there’s always Skype!

9. Stuff Your Face

Um, hello, this is Thanksgiving after all. No matter where you are, unbutton your pants and stuff your face like you are at home. Remember, you are going to have to wait a whole year to do this again. 

10. Have Fun!

Celebrate with your new friends, teach them about Thanksgiving, and have fun. After our dinner we didn’t succumb to the Turkey coma. Instead we hit the club! Because that’s how you do Thursday nights in Spain!