In the end I celebrated Thanksgiving with some lovely people that didn't really have to invite me. It felt like a Christmas dinner with a different dessert and without the TV on, and I kept comparing everything with the way I do things for Christmas. And we talked about politics, which seems unavoidable lately.

I already knew what the menu is supposed to be, so it was less of a surprise. Turkey wasn't new, bread-based stuffing was. Cranberry sauce was delicious but definitely different from anything I had had before. Probably the oddest thing, together with that, was the pumpkin pie. Pumpkin is a vegetable, and I said I found the idea of Pumpkin pie as strange as tomato jam was for them. Well, tomato jam is strange even in Spain, I think it is just my family's invention.

Big family meals are great. I think I would celebrate Thanksgiving if I ever was in this country again at this time of the year.