Thanksgiving Memes Are Another Latino Tradition You Can Expect On Social Media This Year

The celebration of Thanksgiving Day in a Latino household comes with its own unique features, such as variations in traditional dishes or even differing interpretations of the holiday's origins. However, a fundamental characteristic stands out every year: its own, culturally relevant, flood of memes on social media.

The essence is not found in the choice of turkey stuffing or the customary abundance of food adorning the family table. Nor is it tied to the decorations that may accompany the dinner, which may depend on which country families hail from. It's in the willingness to take anything and everything to have some fun.

Of course there are the memes mocking the gossip shared while preparing the meal or the culture shock when a family member introduces a partner from a different ethnicity. However, the staples that never fail to make an appearance are the distinctive features of the Latino Thanksgiving.

One key component of meme-worthy aspects of Latino thanksgiving has to do with in time. While Americans start their dinner at 5 or 6 pm, a majority of Latinos initiate their feasts three hours later.

This late Thanksgiving Dinner, which tends to start at 9 pm, is the focal point reflected in the relatable memes circulating on social platforms every year.

Memes about eating after everyone else portray individuals seemingly starving, juxtaposed against those who have already completed their turkey feasts and flooded social media with an abundance of pictures showcasing their culinary creations.

The origin of Thanksgiving dates back to the year 1621, when the Plymouth colonists from England and the Native American Wampanoag people shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. For more than two centuries, days of Thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. It wasn't until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that then-President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November," reads a description of the holiday by the History Channel.

Celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, the National Thanksgiving Day is an official federal holiday, so virtually all government offices, schools, and most businesses are closed.

For some Latinos, the holiday serves as an occasion to seize the free time that comes with the holiday. But it holds significant importance for others, serving as a prime opportunity to come together with family, friends, and other cherished individuals to express gratitude for their presence and other aspects of life.