THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
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A Thanksgiving Message from Ambassador Woody Johnson
Written By US Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Woody Johnson
@USAmbUK
Thanksgiving is my favorite day of the year. For starters, it provides the unbeatable combination of family, friends, food and football! But what makes Thanksgiving really special is the way this totally American holiday brings the whole country together as one.
Of course, every family celebrates in their own unique way – with customs and traditions passed on from one generation to another. In my family, Thanksgiving would not be Thanksgiving without apple pie and cheese. This dish may divide opinion – some people prefer their apple pie with ice cream – but to all the sceptics: it really is delicious and I’m publishing my grandmother’s recipe so you can try it for yourselves!
The fact is we all celebrate Thanksgiving in different ways. But we are celebrating the same national values. The story of the very first Thanksgiving sums up all the things we care about most as Americans: community, togetherness and helping other people out – especially in their hour of need.
Those are values we carry with us both at home and abroad and I am so proud of the thousands of Americans who will be representing those values in the United Kingdom this Thanksgiving. Like the thousands of dedicated men and women who have come here to serve our country – both on the military bases and at our Embassy in London. Or all the families and friends who will gather together as a community to share a Thanksgiving meal. Or the army of American volunteers, who will go out to serve those less fortunate on this day as on many others.
Wherever we are, and whatever we choose to do, Thanksgiving not only brings us together, it brings out the best in us. It is a proud time to be an American and I look forward to our community in Britain coming together for the annual Thanksgiving service at St Paul’s Cathedral in London.
I wish all Americans living in the United Kingdom the very happiest of holidays.
Click Here to see Ambassador Johnson's recipe for Apple Pie with a Cheddar Chese Crust
