Tradition

I once taught with someone who —as she often told us—descended from people who came over on the Mayflower. And she continued, her family celebrated Thanksgiving by gathering in a state park and cooking their entire meal outdoors. Well, not the complete feast. Someone roasted the turkey at home and brought it to the park.

Despite the weather they gathered in remembrance of the ancestor. Since a number of generations had passed most of the clan couldn't directly connect to this relative. Rather than gather around the television after the repast they played tag football in the state park. I always wondered about the authenticity of that selection.

The last year of the tradition the meteorologist forecast an inclement day replete with rain and cold temperatures. A minor uprising occurred especially amongst those relatives whose relatives came over during the potato famine in Ireland. One Italian sister-in-law said she craved lasagna instead of sweet potatoes.

So another tradition needed to undergo changes. She said, the flag football game continued and lasagna was served along with the turkey.