The celebration of Thanksgiving, given our colonial history, is a little hard to swallow and celebrate. This is because, like Philippine history, Thanksgiving is also a story of conquest. While subjugation is not my topic today, and I won’t go into specifics, readers probably know the Thanksgiving history and how the British landed (and survived) in the United States. Suffice it is to say that I recognize the plight of American Indians and their right to say that it is a day of national mourning and not celebration.
It is a bit funny too, in a weirdly satirical way, how we Filipinos are slowly adapting to this celebration. We’re always looking for a reason to celebrate. Like Halloween, and Mother’s Day, are both American traditions that are slowly entering the Filipino consciousness. I’m sure, in a few more years, we’d be celebrating Black Friday too! :P
More than 10 years ago, I used to work in a call center serving the United States continent and through all the centers I passed, one of the American traditions we celebrate is Thanksgiving. I had this American team leader who once invited us to his condo, and he cooked this really large turkey. I remember thinking that it was bland, dry, and has this peculiar smell which we might sometimes call as “malansa”. I ate everything with gusto, of course. It’s Thanksgiving after all. :P
Already, the grocery store near me is stocking up on Turkey, weird, no? But I’m really not feeling the vibes with Turkey.
So, anyway, if you’re planning anything Thanksgiving this year, I prepared a laid-back Filipino feast menu so you can get an idea on what to prepare.
PS -Thanks for dropping by! I have an updated additional Filipino Thanksgiving menu ideas here:
Menu for Filipino Thanksgiving
Main:
Slow Cooked Hongkong Style Roast Pork Belly
Sides:
Stuffing:
Longanisa Pandesal Kesong Puti Stuffing
Soup:
Special Kinamatisang Bisugo Soup
Dessert:
Kalabasa Leche Flan by Pinoy Recipe
