“We at the YMCA are motived by the vision that our communities can and will be home to the healthiest children, teens and young adults. Let’s start by celebrating our diversity, welcome in what is new and traditional, and form bonds that bring us closer together, strengthening our connection with others."
Turkey with all the fixings, roasted vegetables, spanakopita, lasagna, beef karhai, falafel, butter chicken – time to sit down for Thanksgiving dinner!
These dishes might seem a bit odd together, but it should no longer come as a surprise to find a variety of food on Thanksgiving tables – especially across the Greater Toronto Area.
The modern Thanksgiving dinner is truly an amalgam of many cultures because the modern family is a diverse mix of nationalities, each bringing their own culinary creations to the table. Mom is of South Asian lineage, dad is Italian, maternal grandmother is from England, and maternal grandfather is from Korea. This year, perhaps a kimchi pizza or spanakopita filled with callaloo and Queso Anejo.
You see this cultural fusion of taste everywhere, not just in fancy restaurants. These delicious combinations can be found in family homes across the GTA. And with the modern family unite more diverse than ever before, finding a cornucopia of flavours on the table is becoming commonplace.
Thanksgiving is, as its name denotes, a time to give thanks. It’s time for families (how ever you define them) to come together, share a meal, and be thankful for each other and what they bring to their lives. The popularity of cooking shows points to a refreshed love for food and how sharing food with someone is a truly special moment.
Food is culture, and with it traditions, stories, and memories of past events like weddings, birthdays and in this case, Thanksgiving. Not every culture that calls Toronto home celebrated Thanksgiving in their native country; however, as is true of the mosaic that is Canada many cultures took to celebrating celebrations like Thanksgiving.
Whether you participate in Thanksgiving, the vast majority of people across the GTA have that day off. Do they spend that time with family? Many do, whether it was a tradition in their native country or not.
Canadians should be thankful for what our country’s multiculturalism brings us on Thanksgiving: the ability to share with each other a small piece – a slice, if you will – of another culture. Spanakopita, beef karhai and falafel should be on the same table as the cranberry sauce and gravy.
