Turkeys Baking for Canadian Thanksgiving

TURKEYS are in the oven and the fixingsare in the fridge as members of theCanadian community in Costa Rica preparefor their Thanksgiving celebrations on Oct.11.For Canadian Heather Rigby, who livesin Escazú, southwest of San José,Thanksgiving represents spending timewith her husband, three young childrenand friends and enjoying a nice timetogether.“It’s very different here, there’s no publicityas there is in Canada, where daysbefore the media announce it with adseverywhere,” Rigby said. “The only thingyou get here is the activities of CasaCanada, which makes a big effort to keeptraditions in Costa Rica.”The first formal Canadian Thanksgivingdates back to 1578. The second Monday ofOctober was declared an official holiday bythe Canadian Parliament in 1957 as “a dayof general thanksgiving to almighty God forthe bountiful harvest with which Canadahas been blessed” (TT, Oct. 10, 2003).“Our Thanksgiving in Canada is colderand it’s generally a month before the U.S.Thanksgiving, but the principal is the same– being thankful for crops and goodness ofthe Lord,” said Bob Miller, president of theResidents’ Association of Costa Rica andmember of the Canadian Club.EACH year, the Canadian Club ofCosta Rica invites Canadians and non-Canadians to a turkey meal celebration.This year, the Canadian Club has scheduledthe festivities for Oct. 10 at noon and hasmoved the celebration from the Gran HotelCosta Rica to Big Mike’s Club in BelloHorizonte, Escazú.The Gringo chef is going to prepare aregular Thanksgiving dinner with all thetrimmings.“Most of the time, the cooks know howto cook the stuff, but there has been anoccasion in the past and the person who waspreparing it was Costa Rican and no onehelped them, so it wasn’t quite as pleasantas it could be,” Miller said.THE luncheon menu consists of turkeyand all the trimmings as well as pumpkinpie. A cash bar will be available.“It’s something that we share at that particulartime of year,” Miller said of the gathering.“You feel a bond of kinship.”Tickets cost ¢5,500 for adults, ¢2,500for children ages 5-12 and children under 5are free.For more information, contact Elsa orBob Miller at 228-1250.Space at the 11th annual event is limitedto 80-90 people.