Au Pair in America – Rhode Island

Here is a famous illustration by Norman Rockwell, a 20th century American painter, which describes his vision of Thanksgiving

Most au pairs will be experiencing their very first Thanksgiving celebration this week. Thanksgiving Day in America is a time to gather with family and friends for holiday meals. It is a time of giving thanks for all of our blessings. There will be football games and parades, but “feasting” is the most significant activity that occurs on Thanksgiving Day. The main food for the feast is roasted turkey with dressing, usually accompanied by mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes, sweet corn, cranberry sauce , fall vegetables and pumpkin pie.

History of Thanksgiving -In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. It wasn’t until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November. Click HERE for more information about the history of Thanksgiving.

Our December au pair meeting at the Glen Manor House in Portsmouth was very festive! The French chateau was beautifully decorated, and each of our au pairs had photo opportunties with Santa himself! This was a wonderful environment for our holiday meeting and gift exchange. To view more photos of this event, click on the link listed under "photos" on the right side of this page.