How does a missionary (that's me) spend Thanksgiving day in Hong Kong? Thanksgiving is a big American family holiday and is always held on the fourth Thursday in November as a day to give thanks for what we have as a family. I remember as a child in America always having turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie and all the fixings around the family table!
I have been in Hong Kong since 1992 and Hong Kong does not celebrate or even have a day to give thanks. I have gotten use to almost no one mentioning this holiday to me. I do get emails from the USA over the holiday and they usually express how they will celebrate that day, such as traveling to see parents or grandparents or having a great tasting turkey or ham dinner.
Hong Kong is very much a Chinese land and culture. We have rice every meal. Open air markets selling fresh produce and meat are easy to find. The school children that I coach from the international school had Friday off for Thanksgiving and almost all of the ones I spoke with who are not Americans - do not celebrate. It is looked at as a 'free' day off.
I taught tennis on Thursday from 3:30-5pm to the school children. My wife took my six year old daughter to Hong Kong Disneyland for the afternoon and evening (thanks to the pro player who brought us that annual family pass). I arrived home at 7pm and had rice (served every meal for 365 days) and boiled chicken (bones included, the Chinese way) with some kind of purple colored plum sauce. Oh; by the way, in our home boiled chicken is served about 3 days a week! Ovens are not found in the typical Chinese home and our home oven is 1 by 2 feet only. Maybe my first request when I arrive in heaven will be no more rice or boiled chicken and a request for a large sized oven.
Don't forget the missionaries who serve in foreign lands. We don't forget you, especially on holidays.
