This is one of my favorite weeks of the year. I love the fact that Thanksgiving is always on a Thursday…. 1) because Thursday is my favorite day of the week and 2) because it’s a 3 day work week…2.5 really. For all the ex-pats living in Italy,I feel your pain! I know first hand the difficulties preparing a proper Thanksgiving dinner in Italy but it can be an incredibly fun experience as well.
Thanksgiving in Italy
Let me know if any of this sounds familiar:
- When asking for a whole Turkey,the butcher looks at you like you’re from Mars.
- The butcher agrees to get you a whole turkey (head and all) only if you invite him to dinner (true story.)
- You realize that your Italian oven is WAY too small to fit the turkey.
- The search for pumpkin pie is driving you insane,so you buy a 50 pound pumpkin at the market because it’s the only real pumpkin you can find and attempt to make it from scratch (another true story.)
What are some of the challenges you’ve faced trying to make Thanksgiving dinner in Italy?
Here are a few photos from our Thanksgivings in Bologna. Great memories and tons of fun. I hope your search for turkey and all the trimmings is a successful one. I’ve said it before but if you find yourself near a military base in Italy…there’s usually a grocery store on the base with everything you would need for a real American Thanksgiving. Including pumpkin pie filling!
The man in the background is the butcher.
Making some Thanksgiving goodies 
Prepping the Turkey 
At the table Buon appetito!!
Happy T day Joe!
I can just picture all of the Thanksgiving in Italy scenarios. I tried to explain Thanksgiving dinner to the woman I lived with in Siena for a few weeks one summer while studying Italian. It was an interesting conversation.
Happy Thanksgiving!!
Unfortunately Thanksgiving is not a holiday tradition in our family (coming from Australia).
If I were in Italy,not only would the turkey be too big for the oven ( I would substitute with Capon) but the fridge would also be too small to keep it in !
Enjoy your fridges,your ovens,and your Thankgiving !
Happy Turkey Day Joe! I was crying while reading that! Too funny! Remember the butcher also brought a huge plate of pasta a big o’box of table wine and his camcorder to document the entire event! Those were good times!! Oh…and one last memory to add to your list…the electricity in our aparments could not handle all the appliances running at once!!
What wonderful memories you have,Joe. I love the part about the butcher! All the best,and a Happy Thanksgiving wherever you are — home is what makes it special.
Love the part about the butcher! haha My husband always gives me the eye when I invite people over willy nilly,but it makes for good conversation around the table,doesn’t it? Have a great Thanksgiving,Joe
Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
I love all the photos!
You’ve gotta love Italian butchers,they’re the best! He looks like he’s enjoying himself!!