Each Thanksgiving, we pause to recognize the things we are truly thankful for. Among my many blessings are my wonderful friends and the fact that each year I get to spend the holiday in Scotland with a small and very important group of them.
“Scotland?!” you exclaim.
Well, the Thanksgiving traditions with these friends date back to more than a decade ago when they lived in Wyoming. The husband of the group is Scottish, and when their son decided that he wanted to attend his father’s school, rather than packing their 12-year-old off to a boarding school on the other side of the world, they moved there.
It took a year for our group to figure out that we just needed to move our gathering from Wyoming to Scotland, and we’ve been doing it ever since. The results have been that I’ve met another group of new friends, plus I’ve got a second home in the land of my ancestors.
St. Mary's Church in Haddington
I’ve probably seen every corner of Scotland at some point, but our visits are about spending time with friends and truly celebrating Thanksgiving. We start planning the next year while the current one is under way.
Of course, we have to pack some of the trimmings—poultry seasoning, canned pumpkin, and cranberries, which are all but impossible to find in a Tesco. Last year, we actually brought an ex-pat to tears when we presented her with a can of pumpkin from home. You don’t know how much you count on pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving until you can’t have it, and she hadn’t had it in four years.
The locals are in awe of the fact that we would come so far to celebrate what is an entirely American holiday, and they’re still trying to get their heads around the whole concept. It took us two years to convince the local butcher that, yes, we need the turkey ready a full month before Christmas. And I was once asked to give a talk to the local Girl Guides and explain the story of the pilgrims and that first Thanksgiving. I left out the part that the pilgrims were fleeing British rule, which the girls themselves are under.
This may be our last Thanksgiving in Scotland, as the aforementioned the son is graduating and wants to attend University back in the States. Somehow I know that even if it is, it won’t be the last time I spend a few days walking through fields in Scotland, shopping in Tesco, and sitting in the local pub telling tall tales. It’s in my blood, and for that, I am truly thankful.
Janice McDonald is a writer, producer, and avid traveler. She is the author of Historic Walking Guides: Bruges; The Insider’s Guide to Atlanta; The Insider’s Guide to Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand; and, most recently, Day Trips from Atlanta: Getaway Ideas for the Local Traveler.
