2022年感恩节随感

“Time flies, even if turkeys don't.”

–President Barack Obama，2015.

今天是感恩节。

入乡随俗，每年这个时候，都趁机大吃特吃一顿。今年也不会例外。但自己其实对感恩节没有什么特别的感受。对圣诞节，以及其他所有洋节都是如此。

中西文化差距太大。我们从小没有这样的传统和习俗，成年后生搬硬套，过起来肯定会走样。

所以，我很佩服那些基督徒朋友，在感恩节团契时过得非常有仪式感：每人轮流感恩，上上下下感恩个遍。

这样的仪式感其实挺好。我们每个人都应该趁机检点一下人生百事，不管大事还是小事，该感恩的就感恩。

总的来讲，我们中国人不太善于表达感情，尤其是在口头上。书面上，对感恩的表达自古就有。《诗经》中的《小雅·蓼莪》就是向父母告白的名篇。短短数语，把子女对父母的感恩表达的淋漓尽致：

“蓼蓼者莪，匪莪伊蒿。哀哀父母，生我劬劳。蓼蓼者莪，匪莪伊蔚。哀哀父母，生我劳瘁。”

相比之下，西方人特爱表达感情，不管是书面，还是口头。感恩啦，爱意啦，张口就说。来美国久了，我们也学会并时常表达这类特殊感情，但大部分都是用英文来。可是不知为什么，用英文说“love you”，比用中文说“我爱你”，在份量上差距非常大。

当然，表达了也并不意味着真心感恩。美国人向土著印第安人表达感恩四百年了，印第安人却越来越少。打住，这类话题不易在此展开，否则会影响节日气氛。

转到吃吧。

1621年11月，从欧洲漂泊到美洲新大陆的移民设宴款待土著印第安人，以表达对他们的感谢。至于第一次感恩大宴餐桌上有什么食物，史料记载不多。据有限的史料，餐桌上有水禽（是火鸡，也可能是野鸭、野鹅），还有鹿肉，玉米面饼，玉米面糊糊，等等。

摘录几段文字，放在这里，供参考：

Two primary sources—the only surviving documents that reference the meal—confirm that these staples were part of the harvest celebration shared by the Pilgrims and Wampanoag at Plymouth Colony in 1621. Edward Winslow, an English leader who attended, wrote home to a friend:

“Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed on our governor, and upon the captain and others.”

William Bradford, the governor Winslow mentions, also described the autumn of 1621, adding, “And besides waterfowl there was great store of wild turkeys, of which they took many, besides venison, etc. Besides, they had about a peck a meal a week to a person, or now since harvest, Indian corn to that proportion.”

来源：https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/what-was-on-the-menu-at-the-first-thanksgiving-511554/

现在的感恩节大宴，餐桌上的重点是火鸡。其他的必须食品包括南瓜馅饼，土豆泥，和蔓越橘酱。为了写这篇随想，第一次知道 cranberry 的中文名。

下面是10人大餐的标准搭配，以及今年的参考价格：

16-pound turkey: $28.96 or $1.81 per pound (up 21%)
14-ounce bag of cubed stuffing mix: $3.88 (up 69%)
2 frozen pie crusts: $3.68 (up 26%)
Half pint of whipping cream: $2.24 (up 26%)
1 pound of frozen peas: $1.90 (up 23%)
1 dozen dinner rolls: $3.73 (up 22%)
Misc. ingredients to prepare the meal: $4.13 (up 20%)
30-ounce can of pumpkin pie mix: $4.28 (up 18%)
1 gallon of whole milk: $3.84 (up 16%)
3 pounds of sweet potatoes: $3.96 (up 11%)
1-pound veggie tray (carrots & celery): 88 cents (up 8%)
12-ounce bag of fresh cranberries: $2.57 (down 14%)

众所周知，近期通胀泛滥。据美国农业局（Farm Bureau）的统计调查，今年感恩节大餐的成本比去年高出20%。

 

说到火鸡，在我居住的新英格兰地区，这个季节，经常看到一大群火鸡从院子穿过，犹如如闲庭信步。每到见到火鸡，就会动一丝丝闪念，当然从没真的从没想过要猎杀火鸡。今天特意查了一下发现，在自家院子里猎杀火鸡，规定相对苛刻。

首先，院子要足够大，至少占地10英亩，否则别想。
Landowners (who own 10 or more contiguous acres) must obtain a Free Landowner Resident Game Bird Conservation Stamp to hunt wild turkeys on their property.

其次，狩猎工具也有具体规定。
Legal Bows: For the purposes of hunting deer and turkey, legal bows include long, recurved, or compound bows with a minimum draw weight of 40 pounds and crossbows. Mechanical string release devices are permitted. Projectiles coated with any drug, poison or tranquilizing substance are prohibited.

Crossbows: The use of crossbows for hunting deer, turkey and all other species is permitted. Legal crossbows must have a minimum draw weight of 125 pounds and permanent fixed rifle type stock with a functional mechanical safety device. Adjustable crossbow stocks are permitted, but folding stocks are not. The bolt (arrow) length must be at least 18 inches, excluding the broadhead. Crossbows are considered loaded when fully drawn with a bolt in place. Telescopic sights are permitted.

Arrowheads: Legal arrowheads for hunting deer and turkey must have at least two blades and must be at least 7/8 inch wide at its widest point. Arrowheads that are designed to open on impact are legal provided they meet the above requirement.

Legal Firearms: Shotguns, 20 gauge or larger, with #4, 5, 6, 7, 7 1/2 shot, or any combination. Shotguns must not be capable of holding more than 3 shells.

第三，猎杀火鸡后，必须马上系上特制标签，标签可从官网网站下载。
Tagging and Reporting: Immediately upon harvesting a turkey, complete and sign a Harvest Tag and keep it with the carcass at all times. The Harvest Tag must remain with the turkey until it is cut up for consumption.

这些规定，看着就头大。面对这样的法律规定，一不小心就可能会违法。

不知用徒手、气枪、弹弓或陷阱等方式捕捉，是否违犯规定。看来，必要时得找律师咨询一下。

这些都可以在火鸡宴上当谈资。

祝大家伙感恩节快乐！

 

附：下面这个链接提供了好几篇与感恩节有关的趣文：

The Surprisingly Strange History of Thanksgiving (and Other Turkey Day Trivia)
Dig into this collection of fascinating Thanksgiving reads while you’re waiting for dinner to cook.
https://getpocket.com/collections/the-surprisingly-strange-history-of-thanksgiving-and-other-turkey-day-trivia?utm_source=pocket-newtab

 

2022年11月24日，星期四，感恩节