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Story
December 26, 1851
New York Daily Tribune
New York, New York County, New York
What is this article about?
In 1851, American students in Gotha, Germany, mark Thanksgiving with a timed dinner, American flags, revolutionary banners, portraits of U.S. figures, traditional foods, and toasts honoring their homeland and unity.
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Thanksgiving in Germany.
Extract from a letter from an American student.
GOTHA, Saturday, Nov. 29, 1851.
Yesterday was Thanksgiving Day, and we Americans, with a patriotic desire to keep up the "peculiar institutions" of fatherland, rejoiced in a general dinner together. It was served up in a private room in one of the hotels, and took place at 6 o'clock, this hour having been fixed upon in order that we might be eating at about the same hour with our friends in America. Allowing for the difference in time, 6 o'clock here would be about 1 o'clock in America, the hour established in Yankee-land as the proper time to have the turkeys done brown and served up for the serious and actual contemplation of the assembled generations, from "great-grandmother" down to the baby.
Our room was decorated with two large American flags, the Polish revolutionary flag, and the German revolutionary flag of 1848, on the latter was the inscription "Ehre, Freiheit, Vaterland." (Honor, Freedom, Fatherland.) Upon the walls were hung pictures of Daniel Webster and Calhoun, (this being dressed in mourning,) as well as one of an American steamboat. I assure you that we made quite an imposing and patriotic appearance. The dinner was excellent, turkeys and the "fixins" forming an important portion of it. Pumpkin pies we could not compass. Among the toasts were the following, viz: "The President of our Glorious Republic," "The Union." "Champagne to our real friends, and real pain to our sham friends," "Turkey soll leben," (Turkey shall live.) &c.
Everything went off well, and at a suitable hour we wended our way to our respective homes, rejoicing in the belief that we had done our duty to our country and ourselves.
Extract from a letter from an American student.
GOTHA, Saturday, Nov. 29, 1851.
Yesterday was Thanksgiving Day, and we Americans, with a patriotic desire to keep up the "peculiar institutions" of fatherland, rejoiced in a general dinner together. It was served up in a private room in one of the hotels, and took place at 6 o'clock, this hour having been fixed upon in order that we might be eating at about the same hour with our friends in America. Allowing for the difference in time, 6 o'clock here would be about 1 o'clock in America, the hour established in Yankee-land as the proper time to have the turkeys done brown and served up for the serious and actual contemplation of the assembled generations, from "great-grandmother" down to the baby.
Our room was decorated with two large American flags, the Polish revolutionary flag, and the German revolutionary flag of 1848, on the latter was the inscription "Ehre, Freiheit, Vaterland." (Honor, Freedom, Fatherland.) Upon the walls were hung pictures of Daniel Webster and Calhoun, (this being dressed in mourning,) as well as one of an American steamboat. I assure you that we made quite an imposing and patriotic appearance. The dinner was excellent, turkeys and the "fixins" forming an important portion of it. Pumpkin pies we could not compass. Among the toasts were the following, viz: "The President of our Glorious Republic," "The Union." "Champagne to our real friends, and real pain to our sham friends," "Turkey soll leben," (Turkey shall live.) &c.
Everything went off well, and at a suitable hour we wended our way to our respective homes, rejoicing in the belief that we had done our duty to our country and ourselves.
What sub-type of article is it?
Biography
Historical Event
Curiosity
What themes does it cover?
Social Manners
Moral Virtue
Triumph
What keywords are associated?
Thanksgiving Celebration
American Expatriates
Germany 1851
Patriotic Dinner
Revolutionary Flags
What entities or persons were involved?
American Students
Where did it happen?
Gotha, Germany
Story Details
Key Persons
American Students
Location
Gotha, Germany
Event Date
November 28, 1851
Story Details
American students in Gotha celebrate Thanksgiving with a patriotic dinner at 6 PM local time to align with 1 PM in America, featuring turkeys, decorations including American and revolutionary flags, portraits of Webster and Calhoun, and toasts to the President, the Union, and friends.