Thanksgiving is one of those holidays that just screams tradition: one of our friends always has chocolate Thanksgiving turkeys at her table, while some make sure the same people always prepare the same item of food (I mean, how can you assign mashed potatoes to Uncle Bob when Cousin Barb has already perfected the art of perfectly smooth, buttery mash?). The DoozyCards family was curious about other traditions people may celebrate, and little did we know what we fell into when we looked up a few lists!
One thing we love in our home is candied yams, those delectable fluffy potatoes glazed with butter and brown sugar and cooked until the marshmallow topping is just satisfyingly golden brown. Dare I say, candied yams may even be a Southern specialty—why, you ask? Because we call our sweet potatoes yams, even though they’re not really yams…
Did you just do a double-take? No worries, everyone does when I start discussing how yams and sweet potatoes are really synonymous to each other, especially in North America. The yam we know and love is actually a soft sweet potato with copper skin and deep orange flesh, whereas sweet potatoes are really firm with golden skin and lighter flesh. Traditional yams are native to Africa and Asia, and while still brown, the skin is actually bark-like and the flesh can be white, purple, or reddish in color!
So, what’s the takeaway in my yamming on about yams? We’re partaking in the tradition of celebrating a certain food, just like Ghana does with its Yam Festival known as Homowo. But Homowo is more than just about the yams—it also celebrates the bountiful harvest and being together with family and friends—sounds a lot like Thanksgiving, doesn’t it?
And for the family members that can’t be with us as we enjoy our Thanksgiving bounty, we make sure to send them a Thanksgiving eCard. Whether it is a rapping Turkey or a flashdance Turkey, our greeting cards are always fun to send—the autumn colors always get me in the mood for the season—but post offices are closed on Thanksgiving, and we’re always grateful for a Thanksgiving surprise, especially if it’s in the form of an eCard. We added quite a few new ones to spread your Thanksgiving wishes around, so you can find something for everyone! Have a wonderful, happy Thanksgiving feast—and don’t forget the candied yams!
