American Holidays

Hi,
How does one go about celebrating american holidays in the UK? I'd love the feedback.

Thanks

I believe there are some groups of Americans (I've seen a few on facebook) that get together to celebrate. Otherwise it's all on you and how creative you can get with your family. No days off on thanksgiving and independence day obviously which sucks!

I had a big 4th of July BBQ and bonfire and invited a bunch of friends over this year.  It was great fun.  Technically there was one other American, but he's lived here since he was three, so he doesn't think of himself as American.  Everyone seemed to enjoy the traditional fare and the excuse for a party.

I've also done Thanksgiving dinners, but I don't usually do them on the actual day.  I sometimes take the day off work just because it feels wrong to work and I usually have too much leave anyway since I'm not great at using the larger amounts of holiday time I have here.  The trouble is that it doesn't feel like a proper Thanksgiving with just my immediate family, and the extended fam/friends can't just take the day off work, so if I do something, I usually do it the weekend after.

Most love to come just to get a feeling for what Thanksgiving is about and to try pumpkin pie.

Hi,
How does one go about celebrating american holidays in the UK? I'd love the feedback.

Thanks

I've done Thanksgiving twice. Once on the day when I was in Uni, and once as a Sunday roast. I've pretty much given up on doing them now as I'm the only one that likes most of the normal Thanksgiving food. It doesn't help that my df's family does Turkey for Christmas.

I don't really miss US holidays though. If I get a craving for holiday type food I'll make it, but otherwise the holiday stuff has been the easiest for me to go without.

I celebrated last Thanksgiving with a huge dinner at my in-laws'. Everyone took the day off of work and we all went out hunting for the right ingredients. They live in Leicestershire so we were able to get actual pumpkins from a nearby farm shop and we made homemade pies.

Honestly it was the most authentic Thanksgiving I've had in years!

I actually haven't celebrated either Thanksgiving or Independence Day since I've been here; I never really liked the holidays to begin with. ^^;

However, I kind of feel it's rude, disrespectful and obnoxious to celebrate American Independence Day in the very country we gained indepence from. But, that's just how I feel.

However, I kind of feel it's rude, disrespectful and obnoxious to celebrate American Independence Day in the very country we gained indepence from. But, that's just how I feel.

I don't seriously think very many British people mind about Independence Day... I expect most of the younger ones think it's a movie... in fact when ex-colonial folks celebrate the anniversary of their independence they are encouraged and celebrated. I think any bitterness over Britain losing the War Of Independence faded around 150 years ago.

I love Thanksgiving & 4th of July more than all the other holidays!  4th of July because it's right beside my birthday - so I always reckoned those fireworks were all for me me me.    Plus all those great memories of hot hot summers.    And Thanksgiving - it's true (like what the Brits say) it's a bit like Christmas with the turkey dinner (although my family would have something else for Christmas, usually ham), but I like it because it's just about food, family/friends & fun - none of that pressure messing about with gifts.  And again, all the great memories from the Thanksgivings my grandma used to put on when I was a kid with all my extended family around (most of whom are gone from the world now).

Those holidays tend to be the only times that I feel a bit homesick for the US.

So I usually do something here to celebrate - although it has to be on one of the weekends before or after, where the day itself doesn't fall on the weekend & of course we don't get the day as holiday here.  Personally, most Brits I know would love to have another paid holiday - no bother!

And I invite my fellow British/American/Canadian mates over.  We did a BBQ in July.  And for the past 3 years, we put on a huge Thanksgiving feast - where everyone brings a dish.  That one has gotten to be a bit overwhelming with the volume of cooking & the number of people, so we decided to take a break from it this year - DH and I took the week off & we're off to the Yorkshire Dales to celebrate instead (self-catering), plus any of our friends who are up for a week away then (but it won't be the full 20+ strong crowd we've had in years past -- we need an extra house & a caterer & staff!).

In the beginning, my DH was only slightly reluctant on celebrating these, but he loves our big American get-togethers now as much as everyone else!  I agreed to move here for him - but not to check all my American traditions at the door.  

The other Brits who come love it too!  That table groaning with more food than they might have seen before in one place.  Lol!  

I don't seriously think very many British people mind about Independence Day... I expect most of the younger ones think it's a movie... in fact when ex-colonial folks celebrate the anniversary of their independence they are encouraged and celebrated. I think any bitterness over Britain losing the War Of Independence faded around 150 years ago.

Maybe, but like I said, that's just how I feel.
You would think that any bitterness from losing the war would be gone, however, the question of 'how do you celebrate independence day' was popped up on LJ's Writer's Block this past July, and it was quite astounding as to how many people were offended.

However, I kind of feel it's rude, disrespectful and obnoxious to celebrate American Independence Day in the very country we gained indepence from. But, that's just how I feel.

I've posted this before (on a July 4th thread I think), but in my experience the British people I've met haven't seen celebrating independence day as rude.  I've done little fireworks/BBQ parties in the last three villages I've lived in, and my neighbors have always been supportive/interested.  They always seemed to think it was kind of cute that I was celebrating - like a pet they'd trained was doing tricks.   

My guess is this is down to the fact that the UK has a lot of former colonies, and a lot of people from those colonies live in the UK, so it's not as though American expats are the only ones celebrating their independence in the UK.

Maybe, but like I said, that's just how I feel.
You would think that any bitterness from losing the war would be gone, however, the question of 'how do you celebrate independence day' was popped up on LJ's Writer's Block this past July, and it was quite astounding as to how many people were offended.

Well, the last time this topic came up with the Brits I am close to, one of them said, "We don't feel bitter because we burned the White House in the War Of 1812". Mind you, he is a history teacher and his knowledge of the history of US/British relations is unusually deep for over here. Believe me, it's just not an issue. Anyhow, blogs always attract people with opinions and time on their hands.

Well, the last time this topic came up with the Brits I am close to, one of them said, "We don't feel bitter because we burned the White House in the War Of 1812". Mind you, he is a history teacher and his knowledge of the history of US/British relations is unusually deep for over here. Believe me, it's just not an issue. Anyhow, blogs always attract people with opinions and time on their hands.

Ah, well that is a good retort, heh. That's true about people on blogs, but those people tend to be more honest when not faced to face with other people. I still feel that it would be rude of me, but as I said before, I don't care much for Independence Day and can live without celebrating it for the rest of my life.

...like a pet they'd trained was doing tricks.

   Hee hee - my British friends have yet to turn down mountains of homecooked food!  

I'm sure there are people who get offended, as much as anyone gets offended about just about anything - just check out 'Have Your Say' on the BBC news, for instance, on just about any topic.  And sometimes people with strong opinions of whatever it is (negative or positive), are more likely to want to argue their opinion - than those who think it's okay or who just don't care one way or the other.  There's room for it all & we all have opinions.  Different strokes!  

- like a pet they'd trained was doing tricks.  

 Hee hee

Scene:  July 4th BBQ in the picturesque Hertfordshire village of Great Wymondley
My UK Citizen Wife [to me]:  Go on, boy, do your trick!
Me: (puzzled look, tilts head sideways)
Wife: Go on, do your celebrating independence trick!
Me: (understanding, excitedly run over to Roman Candle, light fuse, run away)
Neighbors: Oooh, look at him go!
(Roman Candle begins firing)
Me: (jumping around excitedly, waving American flag) Wooo! Hooo!
Neighbors:  [to each other] Awwww, isn't that sweet?  He just loves that independence!
Neighbors:  [to me] Well done, American!  Good boy!

Scene:  July 4th BBQ in the picturesque Hertfordshire village of Great Wymondley
My UK Citizen Wife [to me]:  Go on, boy, do your trick!
Me: (puzzled look, tilts head sideways)
Wife: Go on, do your celebrating independence trick!
Me: (understanding, excitedly run over to Roman Candle, light fuse, run away)
Neighbors: Oooh, look at him go!
(Roman Candle begins firing)
Me: (jumping around excitedly, waving American flag) Wooo! Hooo!
Neighbors:  [to each other] Awwww, isn't that sweet?  He just loves that independence!
Neighbors:  [to me] Well done, American!  Good boy!

LOL.

I'm probably just being overly-sensitive/overly-polite about my thoughts on Independence Day. xP