When the general population thinks about Thanksgiving, they think about this:

When I think about Thanksgiving, I think of this:

We do have Turkey at our Thanksgiving… but there always seems to be some element of Persian food on that table. Whether it be polo (rice), some salad olivieh (our version of potato/chicken salad), or some mast (yogurt) it will probably be there. I don’t see an issue with this. This is truly being Iranian-American!

In all seriousness, many Iranians come from Iran and are presented with various holidays and traditions where they may not be exactly sure what to do or how to celebrate, but they feel they need to embrace some traditions simply because they are here. This tradition is not one of those. We already feel and celebrate this, and in fact, we do it sometimes daily.

When we can, we already sit around a table. When we can, we already eat together. When we can, we already say what we are thankful for.  Family (and by the way, sometimes we call even our neighbors “khaleh” (aunt)!) is such an important and integrate part of our culture. Honestly, I feel lucky because I have felt that many dinners and days in our lives are like Thanksgiving.

This holiday is not about being Iranian, being American or being Iranian-American. It is about being grateful and spending time with those we love, regardless of the date on our calendars.

With Thanksgiving, we never felt we had to adjust in order to feel like we were a part of America. We already felt this was our tradition even if there was also some kabob on the table.

Hope everyone enjoys their Thanksgiving holiday with friends and family!