One of the consequences of living abroad is that we miss the Canadian/American holidays. And I don't just mean that we physically miss celebrating them with our family and friends, but that it's very easy to forget all about them until like the day before (if we're lucky) or sadly even sometimes after the fact. It is even more apparent to me as the lone Canadian in our group of acquaintances (many of them American)--acquaintances that will gladly hold a 4th of July barbeque or plan a massive (American) Thanksgiving feast so the invitations to such events conveniently remind us of their celebratory purpose. But I'm all alone when it comes to celebrating or even remembering my Canadian holidays and it's just weird to live through, say, Canada Day (July 1st) like it's a totally normal day either because it's not a special day to anyone else or I've just plain forgotten its importance (I dare say this year I was oblivious on July 1st about my nation's birthday until someone mentioned it to me sometime in the evening..."them: 'Hey isn't today Canada's birthday?' me: 'Uhh, hey, yeah!'...doh!).
It happened most recently with Canadian Thanksgiving. For all you Americans out there, we Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving on the first Monday of October, not at the end of November. It was always one day off school and was always a welcome break after the first month of hard work. Well, this year I TOTALLY FORGOT IT WAS COMING until I called home the Saturday before and my parents mentioned it'd be nice if I called back when the whole family was over on Monday. I was so stumped as to why the whole family would be over! But then it clicked. And I really tried to be thankful that day! But it's just so different being away from a group who is also celebrating. I guess I've learned that's what makes a holiday a holiday!
So if anyone would like to remind me of the other Canadian holidays throughout the year (isn't there Family Day sometime in February? and Victoria Day in May?) I will work harder to be totally aware of them and enjoy them to their fullest. And hey, don't take advantage of being able to naturally remember and celebrate all the holidays with other co-celebrators and rememberers. That we could all be so lucky (and not so forgetful!).
2 comments:
I know what you mean, girl! I remembered Thanksgiving the Friday before but then on that Monday I totally forgot until I ran into Brian Salter on campus and was like "hey Brian!" and he's like "hey Nicole, Happy Thanksgiving!" i was like "yeah, you too!" (meanwhile thinking...OOPS I totally forgot) Last year on Thanksgiving all my friends ate turkey sandwiches with me in the caf and one of my friends snuck into my room and left a construction paper turkey that she'd made :-P Next up...American Thanksgiving...I won't be forgetting that one...I get a week off instead of a day! ;)
I have a feeling the same thing will happen to me when I'm Down Under. Apparently they don't even have Thanksgiving - now that will be strange. I guess Germans don't either so I'll be relating to you at some stage ;-)
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