Asda's new Thanksgiving promotion- proof Britain will never understand America

I wasn't planning on blogging about food again, and then my wife pointed out to me Asda's completely clueless Thanksgiving promotion (which I think they've just taken down!)

http://expatclaptrap.com/britain-just-doesnt-get-thanksgiving/

I reckon Thanksgiving is just ASDA's excuse to promote the 'American' products that they sell. I don't think they care whether those products are actually related to Thanksgiving or not, and I bet most of the British public don't care either .

Though I don't think you can really expect ASDA to 'get' Thanksgiving anyway... because despite being owned by Walmart now, it was British for 50 years before that.

ASDA was founded in the UK 13 years before Walmart even existed... and Walmart only bought them out fairly recently, in 1999. I remember when our local ASDA store was refitted and rebranded as the UK's first 'ASDA-Walmart Supercentre'... funnily enough, only about 5 years later they dropped the 'Walmart' and the 'Supercentre' from the store name and it's back to being plain old ASDA again now .

I've noticed the distinct lack of turkey as well. I do my weekly shops via asda delivery and the only turkey they have right now is mince or small joints. I had to go to lidl to find a whole turkey. 

The statement I'm about to make is absolutely overflowing with hypocrisy, but it also feels really weirdly intrusive on a special cultural American thing for them to be trying to make thanksgiving A Thing. Obviously Americans shove their culture upon an awful lot of unwilling people and god knows we have co-opted countless traditions. Like it's one thing for me to put on a thanksgiving meal for my friends but it's a whole different thing for British supermarkets to try and promote a holiday that is nearly as deeply American as the Fourth of July.

I'm not seriously offended or anything, more just a little bemused and slightly annoyed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I can't imagine that Asds thinks that Regular British people will start to celebrate Thanksgiving the way they do Hallowe'en.  The British don't need it, to their credit they still do Sunday roast with the family every week.

That was a really funny post though, and spot on. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

According to the Guardian, one in six British people celebrate Thanksgiving:

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2014/nov/27/britsgiving-one-in-six-britons-celebrate-thanksgiving

It's interesting, though, because every British person with whom I have discussed Thanksgiving thinks that it sounds like quite a nice holiday.  Basically an excuse for family, food, a giant parade, and time off work/school.  What's not to love?!

It's interesting, though, because every British person with whom I have discussed Thanksgiving thinks that it sounds like quite a nice holiday.  Basically an excuse for family, food, a giant parade, and time off work/school.  What's not to love?!

We're in the UK over Thanksgiving this year, because it just happened that way, to get over jetlag before the Judas Priest gig. I was okay with it all, since we are getting together with my family just prior to going. Then I remembered the parade and had a bit of a gasp. With modern technology I can still watch it, but we'll be on the go, so I won't be able to watch it 'live' on tv.

The three Thanksgivings I lived in the UK, hubby's family had a meal for me. It was done more as a Sunday roast, and they didn't quite get the concept of purposely making leftovers for a few days' worth of eating. They also didn't want to try my grandma's sage and onion dressing or the green bean casserole I made. That just meant more for hubby and me in the following days. It just struck me as odd they wanted to experience a new holiday, but not the new to them foods.

I have always loved Thanksgiving. My mother was not a great cook but for some strange reason, Thanksgiving dinner was the best! She died when I was ten years old so I don't have many memories of her but I always remember her at this time every year because of all the preparation she did and also because her birthday was November 24th and many years, Thanksgiving fell on her birthday. After she passed away, my Dad had to busy himself with work (he was a professional musician) and the holiday season was always busy but because Mom loved this holiday more than others, he made sure we always had dinner together. It was the only meal we spent together all year long.

When I moved to England, I kept the tradition of a "feast" on Thanksgiving. I could hardly find turkey so I just made a big meal. Admittedly, I don't care for turkey so it wasn't a big deal not to have it but I always made the effort to invite friends or family over. We've had Curry Thanksgiving, Mexican Thanksgiving (I'm half Mexican), Texan Thanksgiving (Texan through and through!) with smoked beef brisket and fixings, Chinese food themed Thanksgiving, Mediterranean food Thanksgiving, etc...What was always done despite whatever we ate, we all took turns before the date to write what we were thankful for and we would read it out before we ate. It was something my parent's always did.
I did have one traditional Thanksgiving in 2003 when I still lived in Bolton. I actually saw turkey at Sainsbury so it had to be done. What annoyed me, I know, I know... was that everyone called it an early Christmas dinner. No one wanted to say they were thankful for anything which defeated Thanksgiving to me (they did it the previous years though) because it was the first Christmas meal of the season. Bah freaking humbug!!

Sent from my KFTHWI using Tapatalk

Tesco has plenty of frozen turkeys, I bought a 6kg one last night! I've gotten them at Asda before too, so I don't understand how you're not finding them.

I feel so conflicted about the whole Thanksgiving thing here.  Like- Ok, it's a time for friends and family to come together and eat and be thankful for good things in their life. I get that.  I have a pretty good sense of humor but I do inwardly cringe a bit.  Brits celebrating Thanksgiving? Didn't you show up at the first thanksgiving then be jerks to the Indians? 

Brit: "I am thankful for this strange yellow vegetable that our new "friends" have shown us how to plant."

Indians: "We are thankful for these warm blankets our new white friends have given us."
**Becomes covered in bumps and begins scratching**

Brits: "Muahaha."

I reckon Thanksgiving is just ASDA's excuse to promote the 'American' products that they sell. I don't think they care whether those products are actually related to Thanksgiving or not, and I bet most of the British public don't care either .

Though I don't think you can really expect ASDA to 'get' Thanksgiving anyway... because despite being owned by Walmart now, it was British for 50 years before that.

ASDA was founded in the UK 13 years before Walmart even existed... and Walmart only bought them out fairly recently, in 1999. I remember when our local ASDA store was refitted and rebranded as the UK's first 'ASDA-Walmart Supercentre'... funnily enough, only about 5 years later they dropped the 'Walmart' and the 'Supercentre' from the store name and it's back to being plain old ASDA again now .

One of my local Asda has Wal*mart branding, it's the only one I've seen.

I wasn't planning on blogging about food again, and then my wife pointed out to me Asda's completely clueless Thanksgiving promotion (which I think they've just taken down!)

http://expatclaptrap.com/britain-just-doesnt-get-thanksgiving/

Another fab post!! 

I wasn't planning on blogging about food again, and then my wife pointed out to me Asda's completely clueless Thanksgiving promotion (which I think they've just taken down!)

http://expatclaptrap.com/britain-just-doesnt-get-thanksgiving/

Expat rat, I just saw this post, which I greatly enjoyed. My favorite line from your blog post was in the November 20 update, in which you wrote: "Apparently someone at Asda has finally met an American, who has told them that Thanksgiving involves turkey, and not lime-flavoured buffalo chicken wings".

Expat rat, thanks for a really great laugh! 

The statement I'm about to make is absolutely overflowing with hypocrisy, but it also feels really weirdly intrusive on a special cultural American thing for them to be trying to make thanksgiving A Thing. Obviously Americans shove their culture upon an awful lot of unwilling people and god knows we have co-opted countless traditions.

I'm not seriously offended or anything, more just a little bemused and slightly annoyed

Indeed total hypocrisy coming from the British who colonised half the planet, literally killing off other cultures. I don't understand the notion that Americans shove their culture on unwilling people, I think other cultures experiment with taking pieces of ours, some take hold others not. Where are these USA evangelists/crusaders trying to convince people to take our holidays? It's actually British marketing people trying to work out how to make more money off you, and don't forget some of us yanks live in GB and want a turkey in November.

  If you want to see a real culture shove check out Chinatown [your city] and I'm sure you'll find they have erected a giant arch with a street full of only Chinese businesses filled wit his non-assimilated folks who actually DO throw a parade for their own new year! No one bats an eye at that though (cool, a dragon!).

Indeed total hypocrisy...

For your first post you decide to dredge up a year old thread to start a fight?