Thanksgiving and Halloween...the similiarities?

[DemonSlayerMau]

What the heck are you talking about this time Mau? What's Thanksgiving got to do with Halloween? There are actually a few similiarities I'd like to point out, which I think everyone just might agree on.
Pumpkins. This is really the big one here. Both holidays associate with pumpkins. An uncarved pumpkin symbolyzes the harvest season, and both Halloween and Thanksgiving take place during said season. True, you tend to do different things with the pumpkins on said holidays, but any uncarved pumpkin decorations that you had out during halloween can be left out for thanksgiving.
And as I mentioned before, the harvest season, and fall. Both holidays can be associated with the beautiful fall leaves and fall season. Granted, usually by November it does start to snow, but usually at thanksgiving, we're thinking of indian corn, dried up corn decorations and possibly scare crows and of course beautiful fall leaves. These are also appropriate for Halloween. :3
These holidays are also less than a month apart. And, if you weren't pranked or tricked on halloween, that can be one of the things to be thankful for on Thanksgiving!
And...both can associate with something dead and scary. Can I say headless turkey? :3
Thanksgiving in a way could be a nice hybrid of Halloween and Christmas. With thanksgiving you still have the "fall and autumn" feel, but with the association of family gathering and big feasts that Christmas brings.
True, thanksgiving isn't a scary holiday like Halloween is. It's more family oriented. But there are some familiar simiarities that I thought could be brought up for us fans of Halloween that are already missing it, let's just say that a piece of halloween does exist within thanksgiving!

[Pumpkin_Man]

I'll say one thing for sure. I had an aunt who made THE BEST home-make Pumpkin Pie I ever ate. And every Thanksgiving, I allways have an uncarved pumpkin on my table as a centerpiece. I put in an apple, a couple ears of indian corn and some nuts in the shells as a decoration.

There are some people who dress up like the pilgrims on Thanksgiving, and Thanksgiving is as well known for other deserts as it is for turkey and Pumpkin Pie. In our family the favorite desert are Crispie Cookies, while others like to have cake and other kinds of pies. So we do have "treats" on Thanksgiving, but without the "tricks."

Mike

[sueluvshalloween]

Thanksgiving is almost like Halloween -- minus the spooky, scary factor. I leave my Halloween decorations up until the day after Thanksgiving, except for the tombstones, skeletons, bats, webs, skulls, fake body parts, etc. Pumpkins and scarecrows work for both holidays. The colors are the same, they both occur during the same season with similar weather and changing/falling leaves.

[adrian]

Thanksgiving is almost like Halloween -- minus the spooky, scary factor. I leave my Halloween decorations up until the day after Thanksgiving, except for the tombstones, skeletons, bats, webs, skulls, fake body parts, etc. Pumpkins and scarecrows work for both holidays. The colors are the same, they both occur during the same season with similar weather and changing/falling leaves.

same here except we buy new un carved pumpkins

[Belladonna]

I keep pumpkins, Indian corn and gourds out through Thanksgiving.
I only take down the spookier element. It's comforting to still have the pumpkins around after Halloween is gone.

[Murfreesboro]

i actually carve a pumpkin for my centerpiece on Thanksgiving. I have one of those Pumpkinmaster stencils of a turkey, a wonderful one, and I xerox it every year and carve my last pumpkin while my turkey is baking. So my centerpiece is a jack-o-lantern of sorts.

As for decorations, I leave up my scarecrows and my uncarved pumpkins throughout November; then, the day after Thanksgiving, I try to get the yard and house decorated for Christmas (sometimes I miss the mark).

I don't have so many Thanksgiving decorations, but I do have a wooden turkey door hanging as well as a couple of statuettes of a pilgrim man & woman.

As a child, I thought Thanksgiving was pretty dull in comparison with Halloween & Christmas. As an adult, I appreciate it more. A few years ago I got into the symbolism of the traditional meal. A friend of mine who is an anthropologist told me that everything on the table, in a traditional feast, is from the New World--turkey, cranberries, potatoes (both white & sweet), cranberries, pumpkins, green beans, corn. I got into that. Now I purposefully try to make my Christmas feast different. Turkey for Thanksgiving, but maybe roast chickens for Christmas. Sweet potato & green bean casseroles for Thanksgiving, but broccoli & rice casserole for Christmas. That sort of thing.

[adrian]

that's pretty cool i never thought of carving a thanksgiving pumpkin i may wind up doing that

[Murfreesboro]

You can also hollow out a pumpkin and stuff a small pot of mums into it for a centerpiece. I've seen that in magazines.

[adrian]

oh cool yea that would work maybe carve a face and put an indian cheif head peice on it that would be so much fun

[Murfreesboro]

Another thought: collect a variety of autumn leaves from outside, trace them onto paper, and use them as stencils for your Thanksgiving jack-o-lantern.

But I love your idea of the Indian pumpkin!

[witchy]

Hi Murfreesboro, I love your idea's!! I ll have to try one, maybe the one with the leave cut out all the way around it. I love any idea that involves candles.
Thanks!!1 Witchy

[Andybev01]

You can also hollow out a pumpkin and stuff a small pot of mums into it for a centerpiece. I've seen that in magazines.

I've done that for spinach dip. You get a pumpkin somewhat larger than the bowl that you will put the dip in and carve out the 'kin until the bowl fits into it with the rim of the bowl about 1/2 inch above the cut out.

Fill it with dip and set it on a nice platter with the bread pieces all around it.

You can also use it for soup or gravy or...?

[witchy]

Hi Andy, Oooh you gave me an idea, Pumpkin soup bowls!! Cute!! Thanks, Witchy

[Andybev01]

Hi Andy, Oooh you gave me an idea, Pumpkin soup bowls!! Cute!! Thanks, Witchy

Ooo...that sounds good right now. I had McD's for lunch and it's sitting in my stomach like a rock!

[Murfreesboro]

Hi Murfreesboro, I love your idea's!! I ll have to try one, maybe the one with the leave cut out all the way around it. I love any idea that involves candles.
Thanks!!1 Witchy

Glad they sound useful. I love the idea of carving the leaves all the way around.