Foo Bar and Grill

Our family had a low-key Thanksgiving, with the usual: turkey, some usual American sides, some Chinese food made by my wife, and pumpkin pie. We also continued a family tradition: we played Hand and Foot, a simple card game that mostly involves lots of shuffling and dealing. It's a nice game that isn't too competitive and is random enough that the better players don't always win; since my family tends to be rather competitive, this is A Good Thing.

This is the first "normal" Thanksgiving I've had in a while; last year, we spent Thanksgiving in Shanghai with the in-laws. My wife's aunt managed to hunt down a turkey in the peasant market, and we had a sort of American-Chinese Thanksgiving. We'll visit Shanghai again next spring.

In China itself, the closest equivalent to Thanksgiving is the Mid-Autumn Festival, which takes place during the Harvest Moon. It is in many ways celebrated like Thanksgiving, featuring family, food, and the harvest, although moon cake, not turkey, is the featured food.