Rather than telling you something historic about Thanksgiving, this year I asked my mother if she would mind if I told you about our family Thanksgiving. She was fine with it, because in our family it’s an extra-special day, even more than Christmas, New Years Eve or Easter.

My grandfather (my mother’s father) was born in 1900. Three years later, his father had to flee from their country, because he was preaching democracy which was a no-no there. His wife agreed with him, and if it were just the two of them they would have continued, but they had to think of the future for their three children, ages six to one. They decided that he would go to America, find work, save his money, and send for them, as soon as possible. He was a well-educated man and found work as a bookkeeper for one of the railways. In late October, 1904, his wife and children boarded a ship headed to the US.

The ship arrived at Ellis Island on November 24, 1904. Everyone was excited to go ashore, by the crew told them that they had to wait until the following day. They explained that it was a holiday–something called Thanksgiving–and all the Americans who worked at Ellis Island had the day off. They explained in broad terms what the holiday was, but many of the ship’s crew weren’t American themselves and didn’t know about the holiday. Finally one of the crewmen told them that it was “Chicken Day.” 🤨 A holiday for chickens?? Well, in very few areas of Europe did people know about turkeys, so chicken seemed to be a close similarity. The passengers disembarked the following, and my family found their husband/father waiting for them when they landed on the Battery in Manhattan.

Live was not easy for the family in the early days, but that had done clear goal–to becoming naturalized citizens. The children went to PS 29 in Brooklyn while both of their parents worked and the children got jobs after school. Occasionally there would be class trips, and the one he remembered most clearly was to the Statue of Liberty. From there, he could see Ellis Island which was as busy as ever. And they never missed a Thanksgiving. A few years later, their father ended up almost blind, so he could no longer work. My grandfather was apprenticed to a tailor, and eventually became a master tailor. But when the Depression hit, he took a job as a salesman, and they left New York. He ended up with a great job, a lovely family, and children who graduated from college and went on to significant careers.

For the rest of his life–and Grandpa lived to 100–Thanksgiving THE day. I can hear him now. “Thanksgiving is the most important day in our lives. Do you know how lucky you are to live in the US?” He’d point to his Naturalization Papers which were in the frame that was in pride of place in their house. “You live in a democracy–we didn’t. And even though it took a lot of work, we did it LEGALLY!” He’d point to his briefcase and papers on his desk. “If you work hard in America, you can achieve anything.” I’d hear him say that every year, and I must say I agree with him. So Happy Thanksgiving to you all.