Thanksgiving

by John Sickels on Nov 24, 2025 8:00 AM EST

Around my house we usually have lasagna for Thanksgiving, but that turkey does look delicious.

Everyone have a safe holiday. Spend some time with your family, friends, and loved ones.

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Lasagna?

Interesting - just curious, what’s the tradition that spawned featuring lasagna for Thanksgiving? Strong Italian familial influence? Or just something special between you and the Mrs.?

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone - no matter what the traditional meal is!

by dbreer23 on Nov 24, 2025 10:17 AM EST reply actions

His last name's Sickels. How Italian can he be?

haha

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by RedSoxFaithful on Nov 25, 2025 12:59 AM EST up reply actions

Could be his wife's family...

by dbreer23 on Nov 25, 2025 1:29 AM EST up reply actions

Or witness protection...

by dbreer23 on Nov 25, 2025 1:29 AM EST up reply actions

Sickels is a Dutch name, derived from Van Sickles. My earliest known ancestors on my dad’s side were part of the original New Amsterdam Colony in North America in the 1600s. There is also a healthy dose of British and Scottish blood on dad’s side.

My mom’s family were Palestinian refugees who came to the US in the 1960s. The background there from ancient Arab Christian tribes with some Greek mixed in. My grandmother was born in Bethlehem.

Jeri’s family on her mom’s side is Italian and Dutch….the Dutch Van Benscoter family came over to New Amsterdam in the 1600s at the same time as the Van Sickles, so it is plausable that our ancient ancestors on the Dutch side knew each other. The Italian relatives came over in the late 1800s.

Jeri’s family on her dad’s side were primarily Scottish and Irish criminals deported to the Southern US colonies before the Revolution. There is some Native American mixed in there also. Most of her family on dad’s side is from the Deep South. In contrast, the Scotts and Brits on the Sickels side settled in the North.

So, my kids are real hybrids: 25% Arab, 25% Italian, and the other 50% a mixture of Dutch, Scottish, British, and Native American.

by John Sickels on Nov 25, 2025 11:07 AM EST up reply actions

Seems you have an interest in Genealogy

So do I. Pretty amazing you have gotten back to the 1600s, which is pretty difficult in the US. I have some branches that far back (from the Palatine migration). The French Canadian side is pretty easy to follow back - the Catholics are great record keepers. But the Protestant American lines are much more difficult to follow back.

by cookiedabookie on Nov 25, 2025 11:43 AM EST up reply actions

Interesting mix

Did your mother’s family leave after the Six Day War or earlier?

by wobatus on Nov 26, 2025 10:03 AM EST up reply actions

family

They were expelled at gunpoint in 1948

by John Sickels on Nov 27, 2025 1:54 PM EST up reply actions

after that

After that they lived at various times in Libya (my grandfather was court physician to the King), Lebanon, Great Britain, and eventually the US.

by John Sickels on Nov 27, 2025 1:55 PM EST up reply actions

The Nakba

It’s nteresting that there is still some debate about whether Paletinian arabs were forced to leave in 1948, told to leave by other arab states, fled in panic, some combination thereof, etc. I’d imagine if there is a war on and one side takes over territory you get the heck out. It is evident from your family’s oral history that your mother’s family was forced to leave. The gunpoint is pretty specific. Wikipedia has some as suggestig that the better off classes chose to leave (some folks obviously have no choice and have nowhere to go, and there are still christian arabs in israel, Bethlehem, etc). A court physician in Libya sounds like your forebears were relatively better off, or at last ended up that way, but were forced out nonetheless.

Have you ever been to Israel/Palestine (or West Bank, Trans Jordan, etc)? Do you know what happened to your ancestral home, who lives there now?

by wobatus on Nov 28, 2025 4:18 PM EST up reply actions

well

Well my family was relatively wealthy. My grandfather spoke Arabic, English, and German. My mom and her brothers and sisters were all given thorough educations and spoke multiple languages. One of my uncles became a surgeon, the other an industrial chemist.

However, they lost everything in 1948, only got out with what they could carry. Their real estate was seized. Some of their neighbors were shot. It was rather sad since my grandfather was a physician who treated everyone whether they were Christian, Muslim, or Jewish. He wasn’t especially political, but they were an Arab family in the wrong place at the wrong time. Their home was in Jaffa. My uncle visited there about 20 years ago and there was an Israeli family living in what used to be their home.

I have never been there and really have no desire to go. I don’t speak Arabic at all. I am an American, and while i am proud of my heritage, the entire situation over there is a political clusterblank of unsolvable proportions. Moderate voices on both sides are drowned out by the extremists, and I don’t know how to untangle the situation.

by John Sickels on Nov 28, 2025 9:15 PM EST up reply actions

Agreed

It’s all very sad. All the best. We have a lot to be thankful for here, even with times tough relatively speaking.

by wobatus on Nov 29, 2025 12:22 PM EST up reply actions

My Dad was an Army officer we always ate with his troops.

It was always a good time and it gave my Mom a break. She made up for it at Christmas… God Bless you John and to your family. Happy Thanksgiving!!!

by Berndaddy on Nov 24, 2025 11:16 AM EST reply actions

Happy Turkey Day to one of the best online communities!

by cookiedabookie on Nov 24, 2025 3:51 PM EST reply actions

Amen

and a totally secular amen to that.

The following passage is an excerpt from an editorial in the Wall Street Journal every Thanksgiving, from the records of Plymouth Colony. I downplay the xenophohobic or religious aspects of this and concentrate on the daunting tasks the pilgrims faced:

“Here beginneth the chronicle of those memorable circumstances of the year 1620, as recorded by Nathaniel Morton, keeper of the records of Plymouth Colony, based on the account of William Bradford, sometime governor thereof:

…Being now passed the vast ocean, and a sea of troubles before them in expectations, they had now no friends to welcome them, no inns to entertain or refresh them, no houses, or much less towns, to repair unto to seek for succour; and for the season it was winter, and they that know the winters of the country know them to be sharp and violent, subject to cruel and fierce storms, dangerous to travel to known places, much more to search unknown coasts.

Besides, what could they see but a hideous and desolate wilderness, full of wilde beasts and wilde men? and what multitudes of them there were, they then knew not: for which way soever they turned their eyes (save upward to Heaven) they could have but little solace or content in respect of any outward object; for summer being ended, all things stand in appearance with a weatherbeaten face, and the whole country, full of woods and thickets, represented a wild and savage hew.

If they looked behind them, there was a mighty ocean which they had passed, and was now as a main bar or gulph to separate them from all the civil parts of the world."

by wobatus on Nov 25, 2025 10:04 AM EST up reply actions

And a secular Amen as well for those who remember what Thanksgiving was intended for

Here beginneth the chronicle of those memorable circumstances of the year 1620, as recorded by Nathaniel Morton , keeper of the records of Plymouth Colony, based on the account of William Bradford , sometime governor thereof:

So they left that goodly and pleasant city of Leyden, which had been their resting-place for above eleven years, but they knew that they were pilgrims and strangers here below, and looked not much on these things, but lifted up their eyes to Heaven, their dearest country, where God hath prepared for them a city (Heb. XI, 16), and therein quieted their spirits.

When they came to Delfs-Haven they found the ship and all things ready, and such of their friends as could not come with them followed after them, and sundry came from Amsterdam to see them shipt, and to take their leaves of them. One night was spent with little sleep with the most, but with friendly entertainment and Christian discourse, and other real expressions of true Christian love.

The next day they went on board, and their friends with them, where truly doleful was the sight of that sad and mournful parting, to hear what sighs and sobs and prayers did sound amongst them; what tears did gush from every eye, and pithy speeches pierced each other’s heart, that sundry of the Dutch strangers that stood on the Key as spectators could not refrain from tears. But the tide (which stays for no man) calling them away, that were thus loath to depart, their Reverend Pastor, falling down on his knees, and they all with him, with watery cheeks commended them with the most fervent prayers unto the Lord and His blessing; and then with mutual embraces and many tears they took their leaves one of another, which proved to be the last leave to many of them.

Being now passed the vast ocean, and a sea of troubles before them in expectations, they had now no friends to welcome them, no inns to entertain or refresh them, no houses, or much less towns, to repair unto to seek for succour; and for the season it was winter, and they that know the winters of the country know them to be sharp and violent, subject to cruel and fierce storms, dangerous to travel to known places, much more to search unknown coasts.

If they looked behind them, there was a mighty ocean which they had passed, and was now as a main bar or gulph to separate them from all the civil parts of the world.

by ttnorm on Nov 25, 2025 10:25 AM EST reply actions