Thanksgiving Dolma

At one time or another, my wife and I have hosted Thanksgiving dinners on four continents. Some of them happened on the day itself, others as part of a cultural exchange or festival. Each of them has been a memory-maker of attempts to re-create that Norman Rockwell moment, desperate efforts to find the right ingredients to bring a taste of America to people we love, and the inevitable scramble to find cranberries. Of any kind. In any form. At any price.

As I am sure any American living abroad would agree, Thanksgiving is one of the best moments to talk to people about the USA, our culture, values, idiosyncrasies and strengths, promise and purpose. It is a moment of family, gratitude, friendship and food. So the whole thing is a recipe for understanding and connection. It’s a chance to set a beautiful table, talk about the blessings of being American, and showcase some of our very best culinary treats.

But there is something on my Thanksgiving table that has always been the best conversation-starter for me: the dolma.

Like so many U.S. families, my family decked out the Thanksgiving table with the requisite turkey, stuffing, potatoes, etc., along with dishes that were a nod to our immigrant heritage. In family celebrations at my sweet Aunt’s home growing up, that meant dolma (for those who don’t know about dolma, check out some info here…and then let’s go get some together soon!). For me there is nothing as American as the phrase, “please pass the cranberry sauce…and the dolma.”

The presence of dolma on the Thanksgiving table wasn’t just a symbol of Armenian-American pride. When explaining it to my friends who were coming over for a “typical American” dinner on Thanksgiving, it was a way to explain how natural and how comfortable it is for us to be a people who bring the best of their cultures, celebrate it, and share it. Part of our Thanksgiving prayers of gratitude is always the chance to be an American, but also the blessing to be an American with a hyphenated heritage that doesn’t limit me from being what I want to be or accomplishing what I can. Dolma on the Thanksgiving table is a celebration of the American tradition of acceptance and togetherness.

So while we all love that classic Norman Rockwell portrait that portrays the “typical” American Thanksigiving, we all know that there is something on each of our tables that he would have missed. Whether a dish like dolma, a special prayer, a story, a language, a tradition or a memory, the most American thing at our celebrations is not just where we landed, but where we came from, and what it makes us. In fact, the most American thing about our Thanksgiving table may actually be the thing that didn’t originate in America. It shows that we all want to be here, to build this country we love, and celebrate what anyone from anywhere can build here.

Happy Thanksgiving. May the turkey be delicious, the feelings be warm, and the table be as diverse as each of you.