I've made the whole big turkey dinner a few times in my day. I love it, but it is a lot of work. And I have no desire to do it when I'm in a new kitchen that is a quarter the size of my American kitchen with a tiny oven. I'm working on getting a good flow in my new kitchen, but it takes time.
So, in the spirit of the holiday, I had my husband order me a whole chicken from the department store chicken shop. (Whole chickens cannot be found in the regular grocery store!) I roasted it in my oven with some rosemary and sudachi (a type of citrus) in the cavity. Halfway through baking I tossed some carrots and daikon into the pot with the chicken as well as a couple cloves of garlic. I also roasted some sweet potatoes. I then steamed some cauliflower that I later tossed with the carrots and daikon. It was a simple meal that tasted so good.
Interestingly enough, Thanksgiving just so happened to be a Japanese holiday this year. Kinro Kansha no Hi (Labor Thanksgiving Day) is a celebration of labor and production and giving one another thanks. It is celebrated on November 23rd each year. Although both holidays focus on giving thanks, they have different beginnings and different reasons.
It seems as if people don't really have traditions associated with Labor Thanksgiving Day. There are some festivals around. Otherwise, I didn't really find out anything special or unique associated with the holiday. It is generally celebrated as a day off in autumn and people try to get outside to enjoy the leaves.
At any rate, my husband had the day off and we got to spend it as a family. So, it was a pretty nice holiday.
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