Don Canney

I know, I know, with Covid, political differences, economic woes, inflation and what not, we might think, “What do we have to be thankful for this year?” Well, there is still plenty. Despite our differences, we still live in the greatest country in the world. We’ve withstood some real challenges over the past couple of years and will continue to do so. We all have our opinions of what is right and what is wrong, of what direction we need to follow and political affiliation. But we can hopefully agree to disagree.

To help us cope, let’s look back at what Thanksgivings once looked like. Not only the food, but the atmosphere, fun, family, and memories.

I can remember having, what appeared to me as a kid anyway, some of the biggest turkeys ever. We had a small family, but Mom always planned for leftovers. Many say leftovers are better than the original meal. I can relate. Turkey and biscuits (a-la-king) was often a post-holiday favorite. A layer of turkey and gravy topped with homemade biscuits was a mouth-watering classic (back when diets and health consciousness were not the primary concern).

Did you have bread stuffing or meat stuffing? Apple, blueberry, or pumpkin pie? Bread or rolls? Cranberry sauce? Fresh turkey or frozen? Canned peas or frozen peas? Much of it was probably dependent upon your heritage. Those of Italian descent might include pasta. Those of Polish descent might include kielbasa. Nonetheless, if you lived in the Nashua area, there is a good chance it all came from Twentieth Century Markets, Grand Union Champagne’s, or First National Stores.

My Mom would often make a squash pie. It is much the same as pumpkin pie. The turkey was sometimes close to twenty pounds. Speaking of leftovers… yikes. By the time the following Monday rolled around we were pretty much “turkied-out” and looking forward to meatloaf.

No one in my family except for me was a football fan, so one Thanksgiving TV watching tradition was squelched. But I do remember as a high school student, the annual Nashua-Gardner football game at Holman Stadium. Buzz Harvey’s Panthers would work up a fierce appetite battling for a big win before the big meal. And of course, national audiences, as they do today, would watch both the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys play various opponents.

Then, there were the parades. I can remember there being several parades broadcast on live television, the grandaddy of them being the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, whose first giant balloon was Felix the Cat and first float was Tom Turkey, who leads the event every year. Walt Disney himself helped design the first Mickey Mouse balloon. Mickey back then was a bit anemic looking.

I also remember the Gimble’s Parade from Philadelphia (the oldest parade, which began in 1920, now called the 6ABC – Dunkin Donuts Parade) was live on TV. Additionally, there was the J.L. Hudson Parade from Detroit, now known as America’s Thanksgiving Parade.

Back then, it was odd watching such colorful and exciting events on black and white TV. But we also watched the Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year’s Day the same way.

No matter what your tradition, ethnicity, family history or background, the bottom line is, it is a family day. It’s one of the very few days in the year that we take the opportunity to spend time together, give thanks, count our blessings, enjoy the day with loved ones and also think of those who are no longer here to share this day with us. Put your phones and electronic devices away and have a conversation. Reflect on the good times. Enjoy yourself! Put all your stress in a bucket and lock it up for the day. It could be one of those days you look back on and say, “Remember that Thanksgiving when?”

Some may remember a column I penned last year about giving thanks for meatballs. That resulted from a power outage that forced us to make do with what we had several years ago. But it turned out to be one of those “Remember that Thanksgiving when?” years.

Don Canney is a freelance writer and professional voice artist. He was born and raised in downtown Nashua with great interest in Nashua history circa 1950-1970. He now resides in Litchfield.