Thanksgiving Day is etched on my memory since the time when I had an American colleague. We both taught in a small teaching centre in Rochdale and he was home sick. He needed to recreate Thanksgiving as best he could and we all offered to help. The first thing he needed was hooch! Apparently making your own booze was always part of the celebration!
I gave him a demi john or two of my home made elderberry wine. The still he set up in the chemistry lab was quickly dismantled. The smell really was a bit of a give away! So he resorted to other methods of distilling the wine. He froze it in thin layers and then lifted off the layer of ice every morning. Hooch was what we were left with.
On Thanksgiving morning he arrived with silly hats for all, tin whistles, drums and lots more besides. He organised a march through the school, round the play ground and car park then back into school...the noise was amazing as all the children blew their whistles and banged anything that came to hand!
After setting the children off so they were hard to deal with for the rest of day it was the turn of the staff. A party was arranged for when the children had gone home.
Turkey sandwiches and various nibbles were served along with the hooch.
It really was lethal! A small glass and none of us were fit to drive home so the party continued!
Im not sure just how authentic it was in terms of Thanks giving Day but we all enjoyed it and it was a taste of America never to be forgotten!
2 comments:
Oh it sounds such fun Jean. I'm amazed you survived the lethal-sounding hooch. I had no idea Thanksgiving was such a 'cultural' celebration.
He was from Minnesota from an Icelandic family. They are a bit different from the general run I believe! .
Post a Comment