Their first Thanksgiving celebration took place on November 25th, 1976. Two settlers had arrived nearly a month prior on the Queen of the Skies from Heathrow to LAX. Unlike their countrymen who had preceded them by 356 years, they had escaped the ravages of scurvy, but suffered rubber chicken instead. One settler was with child and happy, after ten hours, to leave her cramped accomodations.
Moving south to Newport Beach, the settlers made their way to the Marriott, Fashion Island, site of an encampment known to the locals as an upscale mall. Here they found clothing hanging on racks in spacious arrangements. This is strange they thought. Surely, clothes should be stacked in piles on a waist-high counter. They wondered how the merchant could make money from such a sparse assortment. They looked at a price tag and understood.
When recovered from a malady called jet lag, they embarked upon a search for a homestead. A helpful agent inquired if they were seeking a pool or air conditioning. They knew not of these things and declined. The agent conveyed them in a fancy carriage to view various properties and it was decided that they would purchase a rambler in the settlement of Mission Viejo. It needs TLC they were advised but they did not understand. They were told of the crumbling drapes and yellow circles in the shag carpet. They knew of shag and again were confused.
The settlers went about their appointed tasks; the husband creating a place of manufacture and appointing local citizens to work therein. Meanwhile, the wife arranged for medical assistance with the birth of their child. She and her husband held hands, seated on pillows in a circle with other couples, while a coach directed them to exhale in rapid succession.
After three weeks had elapsed, they received a generous invitation to a spectacular feast with some local natives, much as their forebears had done. A roasted turkey was brought forth in a manner they found familiar. The patriarch of their family in the old country was an artisan of repute and his precise dissection of the turkey was greatly admired. They were alarmed as their host attacked the turkey with great ferocity while wielding an electric carving knife. His wife brought out a dish of sweetened yams covered with marshmallow. This did create trepidation in the settlers who were unfamiliar with this concoction.
While consuming this bountiful feast, the settlers learned that they were celebrating a successful harvest. They agreed that this was a worthy cause and remarked upon the fact that turkeys could be obtained without charge if other provisions were also purchased. This had caused them to rejoice that this indeed was the promised land.
The settlers have remained friends with their native hosts to this day and each family celebrates Thanksgiving with their three children and many grandchildren.
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