Turkey Day Approaches
The American Thanksgiving holiday is one week from today. For those of you in Asia and elsewhere, this is a holiday for families to gather and eat grotesque amounts of food, after which the menfolk retire to the living room to nap while pretending to watch football on television.
The centerpiece of the meal is supposed to be a humongous roasted turkey. I'm wondering how those of you who are vegetarian observe the day, especially if you are observing it with your non-vegetarian family? And is tofu "turkey" as bad as it sounds?
The ostensible purpose of the holiday is to give thanks. It is traditional for the President to give a proclamation in advance of the holiday that recalls its mythic origins -- a harvest celebration held in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1621. Tradition says the pious Christians of Plymouth did much praying and giving of thanks to God during this meal. Historians say that's not exactly how it went down, but never mind.
The point is that presidents usually refer to God in some manner in their proclamations. Is this a violation of the separation of church and state? I can't say it's ever bothered me much, especially when there's pumpkin pie and candied sweet potatoes for consolation. But Thomas Jefferson -- the guy who coined the phrase "wall of separation of church and state" -- refused to issue a proclamation for a day of thanks on those grounds, according to Sally Quinn and Jon Meacham at the Washington Post. The usual crew of panelists (and why are there never any Buddhists?) discuss.
Comments
“The usual crew of panelists (and why are there never any Buddhists?) discuss.”
I’ve had the same thought! I know they have a couple of scholars on the panel (Bob Thurman and Janice Willis), and even His Holiness the Dalai Lama has been a guest contributor…and yet, they’re not very prolific at ON FAITH, are they?
Rev. Danny — They should ask us to be panelists. We rock.
We’re no fun on panels. We say simple things and shut up.
Robert Aitken Roshi may have said it best (and I’m paraphrasing): “The bird is already dead, but the hostess is not.”
My family has turkey for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, and those are two of the very few times per year when I eat meat.
At home we use Quorn as a chicken substitute for a lot of things, and it serves us well (in everything except fajitas, where we have not found a suitable substitute…so there’s another once or twice during the summer).
Some may call me a hypocrite. But I’m *never* an absolutist.
From the Simpsons:
Apu: No I don’t eat any food that comes from an animal.
Lisa: Ohh, then you must think I’m a monster!
Apu: Yes indeed I do think that. But, I learned long ago Lisa to
tolerate others rather than forcing my beliefs on them. You know
you can influence people without badgering them always. It’s like
Paul’s song, “Live and Let Live”.
Paul: Actually, it was “Live and Let Die”.
Apu: Well, whatever, whatever. it had a good rhythm.
I’ve been a vegetarian now for about 3 years and Thanksgiving is one of the harder times. We celebrate at my grandparents who are farmers (as well as the family being very Catholic) so being a vegetarian just seems weird and unnatural to them, but they don’t give me too much grief over it anymore. I’m the only vegetarian and being one of about 80 or so people that will be there for Thanksgiving I’m pretty much in charge of taking care of myself food wise.
This has let me eat less at Thanksgiving now, though an aunt once made some vegetarian lasagna for me, which was very good. Though, most likely I’ll be filling up on the mashed potatoes and corn, and of course all of those awesome meatless desserts. It doesn’t bother me really. I don’t eat much as it is, and I’m not there for the food, just to be around family, which I’m rarely around as I live on my own hours away from any family.
I haven’t had any tofurkey myself, but I’ve had friends who had it and essentially said it wasn’t anything to brag about. I like tofu in general though, and quite good for you.