We Wish You a Merry Thanksgiving, and a Happy Black Friday!

Even after four years of life in London, it never fails to astonish me just how many misconceptions the British have about the United States.

Yes, yes, Americans get it even more wrong about life in Great Britain, but then Americans never set themselves up to be the absolute authority on life in another country.

The British on the other hand - well, let's just say that when an American colleague recently came over and we went to dinner with two British colleagues, the conversation turned to the recent primaries where upon the Brits took it upon themselves to analyze the various campaigns and candidates' chances and got. all. of. it. very. wrong. according to the person actually living in the US.

And I wish I had a 5p for every time I mention Thanksgiving and some native of these shores nods wisely and says, "Ah, yes, it's much bigger for you than Christmas."

Right. Because we sing Thanksgiving carols and give Thanksgiving presents and Turkey Tom comes down the chimney with all the toys his chicks made for the good boys and girls. And the shops are decorated with brown and gold lights for, like, MONTHS before the day arrives. And we call the day after Halloween not All Saints Day but Black Friday (or Monday, or Tuesday, or whatever the day may be) because you can't get your car into the local mall parking lot. Yep, Thanksgiving certainly is "bigger" than Christmas.

(OK, Thanksgiving is non-denominational and thus is open to more people than Christmas, which is a Christian holiday, but still. "Bigger?" Commercially? Culturally? I think not.)