USA Turkey Day, Middle East Turkey Days………
Thursday is the official Turkey Day in the United States. It is usually one day of the year, usually. Except for the period 2001-2009. Most people in the Middle East assume from the name that Thanksgiving is a Christian holiday. It is not: it is a national day for people of all faiths, no faiths, and whatever comes in between. People as diverse as Gus Hall, Richard Nixon, and Woody Allen celebrated Thanksgiving, or I think they did. I know people who think it is even less religious than Christmas has become these days.
In the Middle East we have done even better. Turkey Day is every day! There is no week-long of leftovers: we get the "real" turkeys forever. When the current turkeys go, they leave us new turkeys to rule the roost.
Whenever one of us opens a newspaper he or she sees the visage of a turkey, usually “the Turkey”. Sometimes several "top" turkeys. Whenever he or she opens a magazine, he or she sees photos of “the Turkey” all over: more ubiquitous in this case than Oprah, Paris, Palin, and Johnston (Levi); more than the latest Miss California.
Ditto for state television. On television one sees the Turkeys strutting and doing their stuff to the sound of elevator music. On a rare occasion a ‘Turkey” stumbles though a short or long insincere speech written by someone. One also sees Turkey visage in every office, shop, station, many homes, and a few well-hidden latrines as well. That last one usually comes out of frustration and anger, or maybe it comes from a case of excessive love and loyalty, misplaced of course. Or maybe it’s a question of proverbial inspiration. Ich weiss nicht.
Often when one beholds a photo of some cabinet session in the Middle East it looks like a Turkey class reunion- or a wake for the people. Even most of the few bodies that pass for legislatures resemble turkey farms. That is why it is unfortunate that there is no Thanksgiving, American style, with all the trimmings, and the stuffing, and the basting, and the carving……….
Dommage…………
Cheers
mhg
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