Thanksgiving 2021

We spoke with Neil Greco, one of our Partners in the U.S., to ask about his upcoming Thanksgiving holiday plans…

I had the good fortune of attending the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade as a child and to this day still flash back to those memorable moments.

On Thanksgiving morning we still have the parade on the TV, but I have to admit, it’s more on in the background and we glance at it from time to time. It’s not as prominent as it used to be, but still present. Same is true for the football game - it's on in the background.

I think in these days, we find time is precious, so parking ourselves in front of the TV for a day doesn’t fit our lifestyle.

How do you usually spend Thanksgiving?

We have scaled back in recent years - perhaps because of COVID, but also because as our children get a little older we tend to spend time with them. It used to be a big extended family gathering, but less so in recent years.

We like to find a family in our community that is less fortunate than we are and bring them dinner for their family.

We spend the balance of the day in our kitchen - turkey is optional, but good food is a must.

What’s your favourite (or most unusual) Thanksgiving tradition?

Breakfast. We start with something fresh baked - it makes the house smell good and sets the tone for the day. My wife makes killer cinnamon rolls!

But not all Thanksgiving traditions are quite so mainstream...

For example, in 1947, the tradition known as the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation was founded under the Truman administration.  Ronald Reagan was actually the first present to formally "pardon" one of the turkeys given to him whereas Truman, Eisenhower, and several other presidents actually ate the turkeys presented to them! It wasn't until 1988, that George H.W. Bush instituted the turkey pardon as a national tradition while he was in office.

Looking back on 2021, was it a good year? 

Ironically yes - it was a good year. I spent an inordinate amount of time with our kids which was great, but also a challenge. Think back about home schooling, juggling Zoom calls between two working parents, masks, InstaCart and home food delivery...it was a mess for a while, but all-in-all, it’s hard to complain. We were fortunate to have been able to stitch things together.

What are you most looking forward to in 2022? 

Health. As long as we’re all healthy, we can make anything work.

Neil Greco
Partner, Boston MA