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.

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of another”.    -Charles Dickens

Au Pairs had the opportunity to practice yoga again at their November meeting.   Everyone brought non-perishable food items to the meeting so that a Thanksgiving Gift Basket could be donated to the Rhode Island Food bank.  Many thanks to au pairs and host families for your generosity!  A beautiful food basket was delivered to the RI Food Bank on Monday, November 22, along with a card and a photo of our group of au pairs.  The name of each au pair who attended our November meeting was placed in a drawing for a chance to win two tickets to the classic Charles Dickens play “A Christmas Carol” at Trinity Reperatory Theater. The winner of the tickets was Beverly, our newest au pair who just arrived from Brazil  — a great way to welcome Beverly to Rhode Island!  View more photos: http://www1.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=3318534017/a=13509975_13509975/

HAPPY THANKSGIVING ……On Thursday, November 25, most au pairs will be celebrating their very first Thanksgiving! The biggest holiday in America for family and feasting, Thanksgiving Day celebrates the traditional harvest after Pilgrims came to these shores to seek a new life. The very first Thanksgiving was observed in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621, when weary settlers were joined by Wampanoag Indians in celebration of a traditional Old World English harvest festival. The Thanksgiving tradition continues today with turkey, savory stuffing and cranberry sauce, plus generous helpings of pumpkin pie and other desserts usually prepared using family recipes handed down from generation to generation.