On the fourth Thursday of November, the United States virtually shuts down as Americans celebrate Thanksgiving Day. Here in Singapore, too, thousands join in celebrating what has become perhaps the biggest holiday in the United States. And it’s easier than ever to find the ingredients you need for a meal or even restaurants to do the cooking for you.

The story of Thanksgiving dates back to the Pilgrims arriving in Massachusetts in 1620 after fleeing from religious persecution in England and then celebrating the success of their first harvest with a thanksgiving feast a year later. The public holiday dates back to Abraham Lincoln declaring the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day in 1863. In 1941 the US Congress finally established the current timing of the fourth Thursday in November.

Today, millions of Americans travel by car, plane or train to celebrate the holiday with family and enjoy a feast of turkey, stuffing, cranberries, pumpkin pie and other delicious traditional dishes.

More people reportedly celebrate Thanksgiving than Christmas, since it’s a non-secular holiday all can embrace. And with everything from tandoori turkey to kimchi side dishes gracing dinner tables, Thanksgiving has become a multi-ethnic feast in many households. In a sense, it’s similar to the Chinese Reunion Dinner here, as both celebrations focus on a meal with the entire family.

The biggest part of the celebration for Americans is gathering with family for a delicious meal and delightful conversations. Meals can last for many hours, and some families who have their dinner midday rather than in the evening just continue to nibble endlessly on leftovers. While the cold weather in most places in America at this time of year means few may go outside, Thanksgiving Day football games abound and many Americans watch the games before a meal with their family.

Thanksgiving in the Little Red Dot

Here in Singapore, too, many Americans will be celebrating Thanksgiving and giving thanks for the many blessings in their lives. Since it’s not a public holiday, only a few are likely to take the day off to celebrate. Many more will just have a traditional meal in the evening with family and friends.

As Thanksgiving has become more commercially recognised over the years here in Singapore, ingredients for almost all the traditional fare have become available at Cold Storage and other supermarkets around the island. Turkey, cranberries, stuffing, sweet potatoes and everything else you need for pumpkin pie or other delectable dishes are readily available.

Turkeys and ovens

The biggest difficulty many people have is, perhaps surprisingly, the oven. Many ovens in Singapore simply aren’t big enough to fit a 10-kg turkey. Cooks have responded by buying smaller turkeys or even, in some cases, by going to the supermarket with a tape measure and selecting a turkey based on size rather than weight.

That said, many Americans who move to Singapore may never have prepared their own Thanksgiving dinner, especially if they went to their parents’ home every year to celebrate the holiday. Often. Singaporeans and other friends who also want to join in the celebration may face the same dilemma. Fortunately, help is at hand.

For anyone who needs ideas for cooking, literally thousands of recipes are available at sites such as www.allrecipes.com. If you need help with preparing your turkey you can also call the renowned Butterball turkey company on its “Talk-Line” in the US at 1-800-Butterball (1-800-288-8372) or email the experts at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

To make the holiday even more complete by planning everything from menus to table décor, you can turn to experts like Martha Stewart in the Holidays section at www.marthastewart.com or even to Butterball at www.butterball.com.

For anyone who doesn’t want to cook, restaurants also offer a Thanksgiving dinner or buffet. The Marriott, Fullerton and Pan Pacific are among the hotels that offer a buffet with traditional American Thanksgiving fare. Supermarkets and specialty food stores also offer takeaway turkey and other food for at-home meals.

Black Friday

After a big meal on Thanksgiving Day, many Americans try to work off the weight by heading out for shopping on what has become the traditional start to the Christmas season. The Friday after Thanksgiving is one of the biggest shopping days in the year, and some retailers call it “Black Friday” since they forecast whether they’ll be “in the black” and make a profit for that one busy day.

Whether you celebrate with just a Thanksgiving meal at home with your family or by going out to a restaurant, the good news is that it’s easier than ever to celebrate American Thanksgiving in Singapore and to give thanks for all we have to be grateful for in our lives.

* Main picture: 'The First Thanksgiving' by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris (1863–1930)