ST. LUCIE COUNTY – The holidays are a cherished time for most people, perhaps a rare moment to get together with family and friends all too frequently separated by time and distance. Thanksgiving week is the most heavily traveled period in the United States, kicking off the American holiday season, with Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year celebrations close on its heels.
Although Thanksgiving is primarily a New World tradition, it does have its counterpart in a handful of nations around the globe, including Canada, Germany, Japan, Liberia and the Caribbean islands of Grenada and St. Lucia. The Canadian celebration is the oldest in the Americas, celebrated for the first time in 1578 by English explorer Martin Frobisher in what is now Newfoundland. That was followed by the Plymouth Colony celebration in 1621 when its members sat down for a three-day feast with the Wampanoag Tribe. While the Canadian Thanksgiving is celebrated the second Monday in October, President Abraham Lincoln formalized the American holiday in 1863 when he encouraged Americans to recognize the last Thursday of November as a day of thanksgiving. Congress made the holiday official in 1870.
The Hometown News asked St. Lucie County officials to share their fondest Thanksgiving memories with its readership, which may evoke long-forgotten personal memories of your own and bring a renewed smile to your heart this holiday season.
Chamber of Commerce President Terissa Aronson
Thanksgiving time was always greatly anticipated in our household as it often came with a trip back to Buffalo, N.Y. from central Ohio to visit family. Thinking back, I doubt my parents would agree cramming all six of us in the family car for six hours was as enjoyable for them as it was for us kids.
My favorite visits were the ones in which my cousins from Texas and California would also make the trip. My West Coast cousins were my Asian cousins, and I didn’t see them very often. Since I was the youngest and only child in our family of Asian descent, it was a rare occasion when all the kids around the table looked more like me than my brothers and sister.
Not that I ever made the distinction consciously then, but I did always feel very connected to these people. I really liked the chaos of the large group, with their similar ages and shared connection to my grandmother.
We all shared some of grandma’s mannerisms, tastes and definitely her physical characteristics.
I am very thankful for that time with her and my cousins.
County Commission Chairwoman Jamie Fowler
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. It doesn’t come with the pressure of Christmas or the sparkle of New Year’s Eve – just a calm, peaceful day centered on family, gratitude and good food.
Some of my fondest childhood memories come from those Thanksgiving mornings: Mom and Dad up early prepping the turkey, each of us grabbing our own section of the newspaper, the Macy’s Day Parade playing in the background, sneaking crispy bacon off the turkey before everyone else did and laughing at the same family stories told bigger and more animated year after year.
Of course, no Thanksgiving memories would be complete without the inevitable kitchen mishaps: the time someone forgot to peel the nutrition label off the mozzarella and it ended up shredded into the lasagna; the custard pies that stubbornly refused to set; the homemade chocolate pie that never made it into the refrigerator; the gravy disasters, and the famously burnt biscuits.
Looking back, I can say without hesitation that our holidays were never perfect, but there was always love woven through every bit of chaos.
Fort Pierce Mayor Linda Hudson
I grew up in Fort Pierce on Jenkins Road, south of Okeechobee Road. Since my parents were far away from their Missouri roots, our family gatherings consisted of just our immediate family of eight.
My parents had only Thanksgiving Day off work, so shopping and preparation had to take place on Wednesday evening and early Thursday morning.
Standard Thanksgiving menus included turkey, dressing, gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans and dinner rolls. Desserts were mincemeat and pecan pies with whipped cream.
The shopping and cooking burden fell on my mother, and to this day, I marvel at what energy she had for her full-time job, along with shopping and cooking for a family of eight.
We children had chores but Mother had to make that teamwork happen every day. She also sewed for all five girls.
My parents were role models, shaped by years of the Great Depression. Extreme economic hardship turned my parents into diligent employees, who showed up to work daily, on time and ready.
They expected their six children to do well in school, and any trouble at school meant double trouble at home.
This and every Thanksgiving, I am grateful for the wonderful family that surrounded me in those early years.
County Administrator George Landry
Growing up in Greater Detroit, I would have to say my fondest memory was watching our Detroit Lions play football on Thanksgiving, then going outside and playing football in the street.
There were a lot of very cold Thanksgivings, and it did snow around the time of Thanksgiving.
Since we lived across the street from a school, they would plow the snow up on the side of the parking lot and we would use the snow mounds to sled down – sometimes without a sled – and you would see blue streaks in the snow from the dye in our blue jeans.
Now having six kids of my own and eight grandchildren (with No. 9 on the way), my wife and I enjoy having the family together on this great day. Just watching all of them interact is such a joy.
Five of my six kids and six of the eight grandchildren live here locally.
On the food end, I enjoy deep frying a turkey and all the desserts. My mother used to make a graham cracker/pudding /chocolate éclair type of desert that was one of my favorites. I had just asked her if she would make it this year and bring it over for Thanksgiving. I haven’t had it in probably more than 30 years!
PSL City Manager Jesus Merejo
I moved to New York City from the Dominican Republic when I was nine, and Thanksgiving is a holiday that my family has fully adopted in our own way. Family has always been our anchor, and Thanksgiving became the day we all slowed down long enough to feel and appreciate it. After we ate, my brothers and I would bundle up and head outside into the cold and play a game of baseball. It wasn’t the warm sandlots of the Dominican Republic, but it was ours. This made our new country feel a little more like home. Even now, as adults, when we gather on Thanksgiving, someone always brings a glove. It’s our way of remembering where we came from and how far we’ve come. We are grateful for all the opportunities that becoming American citizens has given us. Thanksgiving is now about the friends, neighbors, teammates and coworkers who have helped shape our journey.
St. Lucie Schools Superintendent Jon Prince
Education has always been my passion: I’ve served as a teacher, principal and leader, but what many people don’t know is that I also love to cook. Cooking shows are my guilty pleasure. From Bobby Flay to baking competitions, if it’s about food, I’m watching. So when the holidays roll around, I’m in my element. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of the year: It reminds me of family, fun and football.
My siblings and I take turns hosting, and one year, when my older sister was hosting in Fort Walton Beach, she called me mid-drive and asked if I could handle the turkey. The previous year, I had roasted one that everyone said was the best they’d ever tasted, so how could I say no?
So, what’s the secret? I cook the turkey upside down. For four to five hours, gravity does the work, pulling the juices into the breast meat. I insert a rod through the center, and during the last 30 minutes, I flip the bird to broil the top. The result? A perfectly juicy turkey with no dry meat. Now, my four kids have adopted this tradition, passing it along to their own families. Maybe one day you’ll try this method, straight from the Superintendent of St. Lucie Public Schools. Take my advice and savor every bite. Wishing you blessings this holiday season and into the new year!