Thanksgiving hits a sweet spot for local expats

Across the Northern Beaches this week, a number of American-Australian families will celebrate the traditional holiday of thanksgiving with turkey, champagne, sweet sides… and maybe a few tears, only weeks after Donald Trump was reelected as President of the United States.

While thanksgiving is not an official holiday in Australia, a glimpse of festive thanksgiving dinners may be seen across the Northern Beaches, in pockets of surfside suburbs where some of the approximately 35,000 Americans live across NSW as permanent residents.

Constance Hill arrived in Australia only three weeks ago with her husband, from outside the US’s Northern Jersey, and has been on the hunt for a thanksgiving turkey.

“It’s a great holiday and it’s the only holiday where you don't exchange gifts. We go around the table to ask what people are thankful for,” said Constance, who will host her son, his fiancé and their extended family this year.

“We do stuffing, pumpkin with lots of butter and brown sugar. Americans like sweet foods, whereas Aussies would think “gross!”. In the States relatives will come over and bring jello salad, pecan pie, ham…,” said Constance.

Now living in Avalon, Constance says they chose the location because they wanted to feel like they were on holiday all the time - and as far from US politics as possible.

“We are so happy that we have left after the election result,” said Constance. “The reason we moved here is because Australia has so much more to offer. The health insurance cost in the US is crazy, ridiculous. It’s much better here, people are more laid back.”

As turkey is not an easily found poultry in Australia, many expats have been putting in their orders with local butchers such as Devitt Wholesale Meats in Narrabeen, while some use Pacific Gourmet Meats and pay up to $20 per kg for a 6kg bird.

Texas-born Jeremy* has lived in Australia for 16 years and will host a large party of 50 people this year.

“We’ve celebrated thanksgiving every year without fail since I moved here as a way of honouring my culture of origin. Its always shared with family and close friends and its always a party,” Jeremy told Keeping News Local.

“It’s a time to reflect on the year gone past, with gratitude and to look around the room and see people who have been special in our life over the past year. It’s also a chance to revel in menu regionality, for instance in Texas we have a fish called “Pink Stuff” as its a cherry pie filling with whipped cream. The kicker though is that its sweet and eaten with the mains.”

While you will always be offered turkey at Jeremy’s thanksgiving party, as a proud Texan his BBQ is his speciality and this year he will be serving up pulled ham.

“I love living in Australia,” said Jeremy. “The weather, the water, the landscape, the opportunities it has afforded my family, and the chance for my kids to engage with the world around them from a place of safety.”