Question about Diwali and Thanksgiving

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I want to try a new festival this year that I've never done before. Partly because they look interesting and something different and partly to extend my cookery repertoire.
I've been considering Diwali and/or Thanksgiving.

Could anyone who knows a lot about these festivals explain the traditions involved such as food, costume, house decoration etc?

Hindu Diwali or Sikh Diwali?

I don't know much about the Hindu festival but I think it is very similar to the Sikh one. If you know someone from either of those religions, ask them to give you Henna.

I'd say Hindu because it's one of the very few religions I actually like (I'm fond of polytheists.) I do have a henna paint set that I bought in summer and I've been meaning to use it for ages, all I need to do now is find someone that knows how to do it! I know of an Indian clothes shop a few towns away from me so I might ask the shopkeeper if they know of anyone.

You mean American "Thanksgiving"?

And

Hindu Diwali?

I guess thats not as odd a combination as it sounds ( I guess they are both harvest festivals), but still.

Yes. They're the ones that look the most fun.

Cool.

My mom, or Martha Stewart, would know more about the mechanics of cooking and decorating than I.

But every american is familiar with participating.

It is quite a tradition here in America.

It centers around eating a big turkey- filled with stuffing made from bread crumbs.

The History (more mythology than history actually) is that it celebrates a big feast that the Indians and the Pilgrims had together at plymouth in cape cod. The first successful harvest the pilgrims had- celebrating both the friendhip of the two groups- and that the piligrims had made it and survived the hardships of winter.

So its wrapped up in Americana- the discovery and founding of america.

The side dishes are important. We all have to have sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and other stuff- i forget.

Most of the traditional dishes at thanksgiving (turkey,squash, sweet potatoes) happened to be of american Indian origin.

Oh...yeah...the Indians showed the Pilgrims how to grow corn. Thats why they survived.

Though (oddly) corn ( maize) is not particularly associated with thanksgiving for some reason(atleast in my mind)- even though it is also an American Indian invention.

Anyway...Im sure there are some home makers here who can jump in and tell you more about how to cook and decorate for it than I can.

But maybe I have gotten the sponge wet for you.

Thanks. I'm a huge lover of sweet potato so I'd be looking forward to cooking some of that. Though I don't like the look of the sweet potato casserole with the marshmallows on top. I think I'll roast them or just make a simple mash.

Regarding Diwali I went to the Indian clothes shop and asked the shopkeeper if they do Henna tattooing and they do! £3.50 per side of hand I think. My city has quite a large South Asian population so I'm never far from authentic Asian stuff, including food. So this at least will be a doddle.

A "doddle"?

Thanksgiving is a holiday that should be called Thankstaking,I wonder if they celebrate it on the Reservation?The Pilgrims enjoyed the food the natives brought,they showed their thanks by massacring the natives and stealing their land.

It means easy.

@ misslizard: Yeah I know, it's not the best bit of history.

If you like sweet potatoes they make a great pie,not to sweet and good for you.I do think it's nice to have a Harvest celebration to be grateful for all the good things from the garden ,I like to have a big feast in October,it's colorful and still nice enough to sit outside by a nice little fire,the smells are great.

Sweet potato pie looks pretty good from what online recipes I've read, I have considered it before. Though I get stuck on whether to serve it as a dessert after a meal or just as an "afternoon tea" type treat.