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{{Infobox settlement
'''Thanksgiving''' ({{wp|Germanic languages|Tyrnican}}: ''Erntedankfest'') is a [[Surrow|Surrowese]] holiday that takes place on the second Monday of October. Celebrated as an [[Surrow#Holiday|official holiday]] since the late nineteenth century, Thanksgiving celebrates the bounty of the sea and the end of the fishing season for the year
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->
| name                    = Mordred Naval Base
| native_name            = Base navale Mordred
| native_name_lang        = Etrurian
| settlement_type        = Military base
| image_skyline          = US_Navy_100506-N-8241M-191_An_aerial_view_of_Bulkeley_Hall_at_Naval_Station_Guantanamo_Bay,_Cuba._Bulkeley_Hall_is_the_naval_station_headquarters_and_administration_building.jpg
| image_alt              =
| image_caption          = Naval Headquarters, 2010
| image_flag              = SudaltoFlag.png
| flag_alt                = Flag of Mordred
| image_seal              = Sudaltoemblem.png
| seal_alt                = Emblem of Mordred
| image_shield            =
| shield_alt              =
| anthem                  = [http://www.navyband.navy.mil/anthems/honors%20music/marches/the%20naval%20order%20march.mp3 March of the Seas]
| nickname                =
| motto                  = Από τη θάλασσα μέχρι τα αστέρια {{small|(From the Sea to the Stars)}}
| image_map              =
| map_alt                =
| map_caption            =
| pushpin_map            =
| pushpin_label_position  =
| pushpin_map_alt        =
| pushpin_map_caption    =
| subdivision_type        = Country
| subdivision_name        = {{flag|Imagua and the Assimas}}
| subdivision_type1      = Administering Power
| subdivision_name1      = {{flag|Estmere}} (1889-1957)<br>{{flag|Halland}} (1957-present)
| subdivision_type2      =
| subdivision_name2      =
| subdivision_type3      =
| subdivision_name3      =
| established_title      = Established
| established_date        = October 5, 1889
| founder                =
| seat_type              =
| seat                    =
| government_footnotes    =
| leader_party            =
| leader_title            = Commander
| leader_name            = [[Willem McDonnail]]
| unit_pref              = Metric
<!-- ALL fields with measurements have automatic unit conversion -->
<!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| area_footnotes          =
| area_urban_footnotes    = <!-- <ref> </ref> -->
| area_rural_footnotes    = <!-- <ref> </ref> -->
| area_metro_footnotes    = <!-- <ref> </ref> -->
| area_magnitude          = <!-- <ref> </ref> -->
| area_note              =
| area_water_percent      =
| area_rank              =
| area_blank1_title      =
| area_blank2_title      =
<!-- square kilometers -->
| area_total_km2          = 125.44
| area_land_km2          =
| area_water_km2          =
| area_urban_km2          =
| area_rural_km2          =
| area_metro_km2          =
| area_blank1_km2        =
| area_blank2_km2        =
| length_km              = 
| width_km                =
| dimensions_footnotes    =
| population_footnotes    =
| population_total        = 5,388
| population_as_of        = 2015
| population_density_km2  = auto
| population_demonym      = Mordredians
| population_note        =
| timezone1              = UTC+11
| utc_offset1            =
| timezone1_DST          =
| utc_offset1_DST        =
| postal_code_type        = Postcode
| postal_code            =
| area_code_type          = Phone code
| area_code              =
|blank_name_sec1= Elevation
|blank_info_sec1= 5 metres
| website                =
| footnotes              =
}}
'''Mordred Naval Base''' ({{wp|Italian language|Etrurian}}: ''Base navale Mordred'') is a {{wp|naval base}} operated by [[Halland]] on the territory of [[Saint Fiacre's Parish]] in [[Imagua and the Assimas]]. Originally established as an [[Estmere|Estmerish]] naval base in 1889, it was transferred to Halland in 1957 as a result of Estmere's downsizing of the [[Estmerish Federal Navy]]. Today, it serves as the main headquarters of Halland's presence in Imagua.
 
It is today bordered to the east by the [[Arucian Sea]], to the southeast by the unincorporated settlement of [[Bloomburg, Imagua and the Assimas|Bloomburg]], to the south by lands directly controlled by Saint Fiacre's Parish, and to the west and north by [[Topuland, Imagua and the Assimas|Topuland]].


==History==
==History==
===Construction of the naval base===
[[File:Luxenborough_arrival_at_Newfoundland.jpg|250px|thumb|left|''Arrival of Avery Holcot to the Surrows'', unknown artist, 1760]]
With the passage of the ''[[Land Alienation Ordinance]]'' in 1872, an opportunity emerged for the [[Estmerish Federal Navy|Estmerish Royal Navy]] to secure land from the [[Native Imaguan people|Native]] reservation of [[Topuland, Imagua and the Assimas|Topuland]] for the construction of a new naval base, as the naval base in [[Cuanstad]] was running out of room to expand as the city was growing. Thus, the Estmerish Royal Navy used the provision under the Land Alienation Ordinance to take control of what would become the Mordred Naval Base in 1876, with the colonial government officially selling the land for one penny.
Thanksgiving on Surrow is believed to have primarily evolved from {{wp|harvest festival|harvest festivals}} that occur in the autumn in [[Rythene]] and [[Tyrnica]], with historian [[Harvey Riberg]] writing in 1974 that "most of the customs associated Thanksgiving on Surrow can ultimately be traced to the Rythenean {{wp|harvest festival#Customs and traditions in English-speaking world|harvest supper}}," with Riberg noting records of fishermen as early as 1501 having a feast at the end of the fishing season before returning to [[Auressia]] with their catch "akin to that of a harvest supper."
 
A survey by Admiral [[Avery Thorebourne]] in 1877 reported that:
 
<blockquote>"''While the land has a lot to be desired, especially as much of the territory is rugged, the advantages, such as the deep sea, the location of the land is suitable for sailors to receive refreshments from the town of [[McKinnon, Imagua and the Assimas|McKinnon]], while being far enough from any civilised community to not pose any disturbances, and allow for expansion along the coast, especially along the coast''."</blockquote>
 
However, as the site was remote from the rest of the island, combined with the necessity of constructing {{wp|artifical harbours}}, construction only began in 1881, when the {{wp|steam shovels}} arrived onto the site of what would become the Mordred Naval Base. During the eight years of construction, around 275 people died, mostly [[Senrian people|Senrian]] immigrants.
 
===Establishment===
[[File:Guantanamo_Bay_Naval_Base,_Cuba,_1916_‧_1.jpg|150px|thumb|left|Mordred Naval Base, 1911]]
On October 5, 1889, the naval base was formally established and named the Mordred Naval Base. While [[Estmere]] already had a naval presence in [[Cuanstad]], the opening of a larger base at Mordred that can handle larger ships and was not near a large population center meant that the Royal Navy relocated its "southern operations" to Mordred: in 1875, the Territorial Coast Guard took over the former naval base in Cuanstad.
 
Over the next few decades, (TBD). At the same time, the base helped grow the economy of the village of [[McKinnon, Imagua and the Assimas|McKinnon]], located a few miles to the south, as many sailors with little to do would contribute to the local economy: bars and bordellos would spring up to serve the sailors stationed at Mordred, while many restaurants thrived. Likewise, many people found opportunities to work on the base.
 
However, as ships grew larger, the [[Admiralty (Estmere)|Admiralty]] ordered the expansion of the base and the deepening of the existing harbors in 1903, in order to accommodate new ships. To achieve that, while some of the dredged material was dumped next to the coast to help expand it, land adjacent to the base was seized via eminent domain: settlers who owned expropriated land received 1,000 [[Imaguan shillings|shillings]] in compensation for the land, while land owned by [[Native Imaguan people|natives]] were seized with no compensation. By the time the works to expand the base and its infrastructure were done in 1910 (with the help of {{wp|steam shovels}}), Mordred Naval Base expanded to an area of 120 square kilometers: not only would there be enough room to accommodate larger vessels, there would be room for further expansion of the base without seizing further land from owners.
 
===Transition to self-governance===
[[File:Guantanamo%27s_hosptal_in_1956.jpg|150px|thumb|right|Administrative building, 1956]]
While the [[Colony of Imagua]] was given increasing powers, the [[Great War (Kylaris)|Great War]] broke out. This saw the swift occupation of the archipelago by [[Gaullica]], and Mordred Naval Base thus fell under Gaullican control in 1926 along with the rest of the island. During Gaullican occupation, the base was used by the [[Gaullican Navy|Gaullican Royal Navy]] as a way to help secure Guallican control over the [[Arucian Sea]].
 
After the end of the Great War, Mordred was once again returned to being an [[Estmere|Estmerish]] naval base, and would remain the most important military base on the islands. While there were calls for the colonial militia to be turned into a proper military, and for said military to take control of Estmerish bases such as Mordred, [[Prime Minister of Imagua and the Assimas|Prime Minister]] [[Lucas Pembroke]] instead dissolved the colonial militia, saying that "the past war shows us that with our small size, it would not make any difference whether or not we had an army."
 
Thus, without a military besides the {{wp|gendarmerie}} and {{wp|coast guard}}, which were both transferred to the [[Royal Imaguan Constabulary]], defence remained the effective responsibility of [[Estmere]]. During the post-Great War period, Estmere sought to fortify the base and further develop it so that it may "never again fall to foreign invaders."
 
During the [[Solarian War]], Mordred Naval Base played a vital role in helping Estmere take control of the [[Assimas Islands]] from [[Etruria]]. However, the Solarian War led to the end of Estmere's colonial empire: although when Estmere granted [[Imagua]] independence in 1948, it agreed to maintain control of the Mordred Naval Base, the costs of maintaining it became unpopular among Estmerish politicians, and by the mid-1950s, Estmere sought to close the base down, as it was too expensive for Estmere to maintain military bases in the country.
 
===Hallandic ownership===
[[File:Guantanamo_Naval_Base_aerial_photo_1962.jpg|150px|thumb|left|Aerial view of Mordred Naval Base, 1962]]
 
At around the same time [[Estmere]] was considering closing down the base, [[Halland]] expressed their interest in taking over the Mordred Naval Base, as it would allow them to project their interests in the [[Arucian Sea]] and [[Asteria Inferior]], as well as provide a place with which to base their operations in the region, especially in the effort to contain [[Maracao]]. Thus, when Estmere announced its intention to close down the base in 1955, Halland announced that it would be willing to purchase the base from Estmere.
 
Incumbent [[Prime Minister of Imagua and the Assimas|Prime Minister]] [[Marguerite Ernman]] expressed support for the idea of Halland acquiring the base, as she felt that it would "help serve as a deterrent to any foreign invader seeking to overwhelm our shores," although sought to be "involved in any negotiations concerning the status of the base." After her defeat in the 1956 general election, newly-elected Prime Minister [[Martin Ellingham]] also expressed his support, arguing that the base would "protect Imagua from socialist influence" and ensure the "continued prosperity" of the Imaguan nation.
 
Under Ellingham's tutelage, the bilateral negotiations between Estmere and Halland were expanded to include [[Imagua]], with Ellingham mostly focusing on negotiating the rent by Halland after they take over Mordred from Estmere. After finalising the details of the agreement, the [[Tripartite Agreement]] was signed in November 1956, with the three legislatures ratifying the agreement.
 
On 12 February, 1957, Mordred Naval Base was officially transferred from Estmerish control to Hallandic control, with the last Estmerish troops leaving the island on that date, while the first Hallandic units moved onto the island.
 
Shortly after taking over the base, Halland commenced on an expansion project, mostly {{wp|land reclamation|reclaiming land}} from the [[Arucian Sea]], as the [[Lloyd McNamara Airfield]] needed to accommodate modern aircraft, while also needing space for more installations to help coordinate the Hallandic military presence on not just Mordred itself, but the rest of the Imaguan archipelago. Thus, from 1958 until 1965, land reclamation was done to help expand Mordred Naval Base, so to accommodate not just the Hallandic fleet, but also have it be their central base of operations within Imagua.
 
During the 1960s and 1970s, Halland also began opening smaller bases across the country, in order to help ensure the effective defence of the island nation. These bases mostly comprised of individual barracks, with the intention that the smaller bases house one or two Hallandic batallions across the rest of the archipelago. This meant that Mordred became the primary hub of operations for Halland's military presence in the country, with the headquarters coordinating activities on the smaller bases.
 
By the late 1980s, as more personnel were stationed there, the area immediately to the south of Mordred was developed to accommodate businesses that catered to Hallandic personnel, due to both an increasing number of personnel deployed at Mordred, and the lack of space on base to have businesses operate on base. Thus, [[Bloomburg, Imagua and the Assimas|Bloomburg]] was developed, with businesses catering to servicemen, such as Hallandic banks and Hallandic restaurants opening up in the area, as well as {{wp|motels}} to accommodate visitors.
 
===Contemporary era===
[[File:Guantanamo_Bay_Navy_Exchange_and_BEQ.jpg|150px|thumb|right|Aerial view of Mordred Naval Base, 1995]]
(TBC)
 
==Units and commands==
===Resident units===
*Headquarters, Naval Station Mordred
* Mordred Naval Hospital
* Naval Supply
* 4th Fleet
** Expeditionary Task Force 42
** Expeditionary Task Force 43
** Expeditionary Task Force 45
** Expeditionary Task Force 48
* Navy Security Forces
* 319th Fighter Squadron, VFA-14
* 56. Airborne Battalion, 3rd Brigade
*
===Assigned units===
* 2. Marine Battalion, 1st Brigade (1974-1978)
* 4. Marine Battalion, 1st Brigade (1979-1992)
* 54. Airborne Battalion, 3rd Brigade (1992-2010)
 
==Geography==
[[File:A_view_from_Guantanamo.jpg|150px|thumb|right|View of the surrounding area, 2005]]
Mordred Naval Base is 125.44 square kilometers (48.4 square miles) in area. It is bordered on three sides (south, west, and north) with [[Imagua and the Assimas]], and is accessible by the [[Arucian Sea]] to the east.
 
The Mordred Naval Base is geographically divided into two sections: the reclaimed areas, that were constructed from 1881 to 1889, from 1903 to 1910, and from 1958 to 1965, and the natural areas. The reclaimed land is generally flat, with an average elevation being at one meter above sea level. In the natural areas, they tend to be substantially hillier, with the highest point on the base being on the hillside of [[Mount Apita]], at 375 meters (1230 feet) above sea level. The average elevation of the entire Joint Base is around 5 meters (16 feet) above sea level.
 
===Climate===
Climatically, like the rest of [[Imagua and the Assimas]], Mordred experiences a {{wp|tropical monsoon climate}}, with the yearly average highs being 32 °C (89.6 °F), and the yearly average lows being 20.5 °C (68.9 °F). The wet season is generally from May to October, while the dry season typically lasts from November to April, although the months of April and November receive more rain than any other month in the dry season.
 
The highest recorded temperature at Mordred was at 35.9 °C (96.7 °F) on 1 August, 1939, while the coldest recorded temperature at Mordred was at 12.7 °C (54.9 °C), on 15 January, 1911.
 
==Governance==
[[File:Adm._Kurt_W._Tidd_2016.jpg|150px|thumb|left|Commander [[Willem McDonnail]], 2016]]
As per the [[Tripartite Agreement]] signed in 1957 between [[Estmere]], [[Halland]], and [[Imagua and the Assimas]], Mordred Navy Base is under [[Halland|Hallandic]] administration, although ultimate sovereignty remains under [[Imagua and the Assimas]], and a yearly rent is paid to the Imaguan government, currently at 550.45 [[Hallandic pound|pounds]] as it had been since 2007, when it was increased from its original 73.23 pounds.
 
Thus, Mordred Naval Base is officially under the administration of the [[Armed Forces of Halland]], with the entire area being under the jurisdiction of the [[Commonwealth Navy (Halland)|Commonwealth Navy]].
 
Because of its status as a Hallandic military base, the commander of Mordred Base is, since 2016, Admiral [[Willem McDonnail]], who is selected by the [[Ministry of Defence (Halland)|Ministry of Defence]].
 
In addition, military personnel and their {{wp|Military dependent|dependents}}, as well as all Hallandic nationals employed on base must follow {{wp|military law|Hallandian military law}}, while all other civilians follow [[Imagua and the Assimas|Imaguan]] law. As per the Tripartite Agreement, Hallandic personnel committing crimes against other personnel, or committed crimes against Imaguan civilians in the course of their duties are to be tried by Hallandic {{wp|court martial}}, while all other crimes are tried in Imaguan courts.
 
==Demographics==
[[File:Windward_Loop_housing_complex,_Guantanamo_-a.jpg|150px|thumb|right|Typical housing]]
As of the 2015 census, Mordred Naval Base has a population of 5,388 people. Most of the inhabitants are [[Commonwealth Navy (Halland)|Commonwealth Navy personnel]] and their {{wp|Military dependent|dependents}}.


Despite the official population of the base, it is accepted by the [[Ministry of Defense (Halland)|Ministry of Defense]] in 2017 that there are several hundred Imaguans who work at Mordred Naval Base, mostly from surrounding villages such as [[McKinnon, Imagua and the Assimas|McKinnon]] and [[Topuland, Imagua and the Assimas|Topuland]].
Many historians, such as [[Dennis Brestrich]] and [[Chris Hasard]], say that the first recorded Thanksgiving was when [[Avery Holcot]] landed on Holcot Inlet in 1486 and thanked God for "protecting their fleet in such wild territory." However, as it took place sometime between June 24th and June 28th, and as it was primarily a religious ceremony where all men in Hoclot's fleet [[Rite of Masking#Rite of Masking|applied clay to their chins]] to symbolise their strength and overcoming difficulties during their voyage, with no feast being held on that day, other historians such as [[Donald Molson]] and Harvey Riberg have argued that it had "no connection or very little connection" to the modern-day Thanksgiving that is celebrated in Surrow.


The primary language at Mordred is {{wp|English language|Estmerish}}, due to its status as official language of [[Halland]], and as a co-official language of [[Imagua and the Assimas]] (alongside {{wp|Italian language|Etrurian}}).
The first official day of Thanksgiving was in 1759 when Governor [[Josiah Matthews]] declared a day of thanksgiving to be held on "the fourteenth day of October" to celebrate the end of the [[Eleven Years War]] between Rythene and Tyrnica. While religious ceremonies were performed on that day, as the day fell on or near the traditional feast at the end of the fishing season, it is believed by most historians, like Dennis Brestrich, Donald Molson, and Harvey Riberg that this "day of thanksgiving" was the first "true Thanksgiving" on Surrow, as it incorporated many of the traditions that are associated with contemporary Surrowese Thanksgiving.


==Infrastructure==
Although successive governors would not declare a day of thanksgiving on that date for over fifty years, records from the late eighteenth century and early nineteenth century would consistently refer to the day when the feast occurred in early-to-mid October as Thanksgiving, with Thanksgiving involving entire villages gathering at the local temple to mourn those who were lost at sea before having a feast inside the temple to celebrate the "bounty of the sea."
===Education===
[[File:AndersenMSGuam.PNG|150px|thumb|left|[[Thomas B. Dalson School]], 2014]]


The Naval Base features one school, [[Thomas B. Dalson School]], which teaches from {{wp|Kindergarten}} to Grade 12. It is public and provides education services in {{wp|English language|Estmerish}} to children of military personnel stationed in the base. In 2008, the school had to be expanded to accommodate for the increased amount of ships present in the 4th Fleet and the subsequent personnel. As a result, the complex grew significantly, having to relocate itself outside the military base's premises. A deal was made with local government, with the school now providing Estmerish language courses and having the excess number of seats available for Imaguan children to enroll at. The former school building was demolished in 2011, when the new building was officially opened, with the old site giving way to additional military installations within the base.  
In 1825, Governor [[Abner Stedman]] proclaimed a day of Thanksgiving on the "second Monday of October" to celebrate the success of the [[Second Rythenean Revolution]] and to celebrate the "bounty of the sea without which no man may survive," and declared that Thanksgiving "shall forever fall on the specified day." Stedman's proclamation permanently tied the feast to celebrate the end of the fishing season with Thanksgiving, with the only times Thanksgiving was not proclaimed to fall on the second Monday of October being in 1914 and again in 1943 to give thanks for the ending of the [[First Great War (Levilion)|First Great War]] and the [[Second Great War (Levilion)|Second Great War]], with the dates being TBD and October 28th respectively.


All teachers and personnel working on the school are civilian contractors, with the majority of teachers being of Hallandic nationality and most other workers coming from neighbouring Imaguan towns.
In 1950, following Surrow's formal independence from Rythene, Thanksgiving was officially codified as a public holiday falling on the second Monday of October, with the holiday staying on that date ever since. Since the 1950s, as Surrow has urbanised, Thanksgiving customs changed, with dinners in Holcot Inlet decreasing as people began returning to their hometowns to attend their Thanksgiving dinners.


===Transportation===
==Customs==
[[File:US_Navy_100506-N-8241M-317_An_aerial_view_of_the_Leeward_Airfield_at_Naval_Station_Guantanamo_Bay,_Cuba.jpg|150px|thumb|right|[[Lloyd McNamara Airfield]], 2010]]
[[File:ETS_Bus_Happy_Thanksgiving.jpg|250px|thumb|right|A [[Tulaktarvik Transit Authority|TTA]] bus displaying "Happy Thanksgiving," 2019]]
In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, Surrowese usually travel back to their home communities, which in the context of Thanksgiving means the place where their ancestors had most recently lived before moving to either [[Holcot Inlet]], [[Tulaktarvik]], or [[Gateway]]. This has made the Thanksgiving weekend the busiest travel day of the year in Surrow, leading to a custom where entire families travel by chartered bus towards their home communities in order to avoid dealing with traffic congestion and spending too much on gas as gas prices usually spike during the Thanksgiving weekend.


There are two gates for pedestrian and vehicular traffic to and from Mordred: the South Gate, and the North Gate, which are intended for personnel and personnel working at the base.
Upon their arrival in their home community, the Thanksgiving meal traditionally takes place at a local temple or at the local community centre, with preparations being made for at least two weeks prior to Thanksgiving. Traditionally, the Thanksgiving meal takes place in the early evening, but since the early 1990s, there has been a trend to have multiple sittings spanning from lunch to supper to ensure that everyone who arrives in their home community can attend the Thanksgiving celebrations. Some historians, such as Molson, have argued that it may have been an outgrowth of having two separate meals in [[Tern Harbour]] for the town's Rythenean and Tyrnican communities, but others, such as Hasard have said that it is due to community centres or temples being "unable to accommodate over one-to-two hundred people at once."


There is only one operating {{wp|military airfield}}: the [[Lloyd McNamara Airfield]], which opened in 1927 and was later expanded in 1960. It is currently used by military aircraft, as well as {{wp|charter flights}} to transport soldiers and their dependents to and from [[Halland]]. It also is used extensively for transport of high-value cargo.
The meal itself involves a traditional dance performance by a local group, usually either a {{wp|English country dance|country dance}} or a {{wp|Ländler|Tyrnican country dance}}, followed by a priest or the mayor reading the names of those who were lost at sea in the past year before performing a {{wp|toast (honor)|toast}} to all who have lost their lives at sea. This is then followed by saying grace before eating the meal, and then at the end of the meal, another traditional dance performance is performed.


Visitors to the base have to be approved to visit the Naval Base by the local chain of command, with the Commander of the Joint Base giving his or her final approval for visitors. To further ensure security, all visitors have to enter via the South Gate and check in at the visitor's center.
After the meal, families usually spend time in their home community, either at a relative's house, or in an outdoor environment before returning home later in the day or the following morning.


==Issues==
==Cuisine==
===Indigenous issues===
[[File:Jiggs_Dinner.jpg|250px|thumb|left|A plate of home dinner]]
Due to its creation as a result of the ''[[Land Alienation Ordinance]]'', which allowed for the colonial government to deem parts of [[Topuland, Imagua and the Assimas|Topuland]] "alienated lands," [[Native Imaguan people|Native Imaguans]] have consistently criticised the presence of the Mordred Naval Base.
Due to Thanksgiving falling at the end of the fishing season, most of the dishes consumed at Thanksgiving are fish-based.


Former Topuland Mayor and {{wp|de-facto}} chief of the Native Imaguans, [[Harvey O'Concannon]] said in 1987 that "the continued presence of Mordred is in and of itself a continued reminder that [[Cuanstad]] is uncommitted to redress and to basic issues."
The three most prominent dishes associated with Thanksgiving are {{wp|flipper pie}}, made from cured and salted seal flippers and vegetables and covered with pastry akin to a traditional {{wp|meat pie}}; {{wp|Jiggs dinner|home dinner}}, comprised of {{wp|salt beef}} boiled with {{wp|potatoes}}, {{wp|carrots}}, {{wp|cabbages}}, {{wp|turnips}}, and {{wp|greens (vegetables)|greens}}, and alongside {{wp|Figgy duff (pudding)|raisin pudding}}, {{wp|stuffing}}, and {{wp|pease pudding}}, and {{wp|fish and brewis}}, comprised of fish and {{wp|hardtack}} and typically served alongside with {{wp|scrunchions}}, or fried {{wp|pork rinds}}. It is customary to serve fish and brewis and either flipper pie, home dinner, or both dishes at Thanksgiving.


While in recent years, the base has tried to improve its reputation among Native Imaguans, and many natives still living in Topuland now work for the base, most natives who live outside of Topuland continue to criticise the base and demand that the base be moved to another part of Imagua, and the territory be returned to them.
Other foods commonly consumed during Thanksgiving include {{wp|fishcake}} with {{wp|summer savoury}}; {{wp|Hash (food)|fish hash}}; {{wp|fish soup}}, usually made with cod and berries; {{wp|Rollmops|rolled fish}}, made with pickled cod rolled up in a cylindrical shape around an onion and salt filling; {{wp|fish fingers}}, usually made with cod; {{wp|tuna casserole|cod or haddock casserole}}, made with pasta and either cod or haddock, and topped with hardtack; {{wp|chowder|cod chowder}}, made with cod, {{wp|dulse|sea lettuce}} and corn, hardtack, and milk; {{wp|scrod}}, made from filleting a small cod or haddock and then baking it, and {{wp|prawn soup}}, made with {{wp|shrimp}}. Common sides at Thanksgiving include {{wp|mashed potatoes}}, {{wp|potato salad}}, {{wp|tuna salad|cod or haddock salad}}, shrimp, and sea lettuce.


===Labour issues===
Traditionally, {{wp|whiskey}} is consumed at the Thanksgiving dinner, with a shot of whiskey traditionally consumed "at once" after the toast to those lost at sea to "honor their memories," with subsequent drinks are expected to be nursed throughout the night in order to "preserve the supply of whiskey." For those who are either too young to consume whiskey, usually under the age of 13, or who choose not to drink alcohol, {{wp|apple cider}} is an acceptable alternative to whiskey. However, whiskey's popularity has been in decline since the 1990s, with some community centres banning the consumption of whiskey and other alcoholic beverages at Thanksgiving dinners due to liability concerns, and in recent years, other beverages, such as {{wp|soft drinks}}, {{wp|beer}}, or water, have become more acceptable.
Concerns in the Hallandic Parliament and from NGOs have been raised regarding the labour rights of the civilian contractors for Mordred Naval Base. The locally sourced contractor companies that provide the base with cooking, medical and other secondary services are subject to Imaguan labour law, and thus companies who have received these contracts have taken advantage of it to cut costs. Many workers, which are often of native Imaguan origin, work for salaries severely below average when compared to the same function in Halland or even other military bases abroad.


TBD
The traditional desserts consumed on Thanksgiving are {{wp|blueberry pie}}, which is traditionally made from the last wild blueberries harvested in the season, and {{wp|pie|bakeapple pie}}, which is made from the last {{wp|Rubus chamaemorus|cloudberries}} harvested in the season, although in recent years, most of the berries are imported from other countries such as Albrennia. However, in recent years, {{wp|pumpkin pie}} and {{wp|apple pie}}, primarily imported from Albrennia has become popular as an alternative Thanksgiving dessert to blueberry pie.

Latest revision as of 20:12, 21 December 2024

Thanksgiving (Tyrnican: Erntedankfest) is a Surrowese holiday that takes place on the second Monday of October. Celebrated as an official holiday since the late nineteenth century, Thanksgiving celebrates the bounty of the sea and the end of the fishing season for the year

History

Arrival of Avery Holcot to the Surrows, unknown artist, 1760

Thanksgiving on Surrow is believed to have primarily evolved from harvest festivals that occur in the autumn in Rythene and Tyrnica, with historian Harvey Riberg writing in 1974 that "most of the customs associated Thanksgiving on Surrow can ultimately be traced to the Rythenean harvest supper," with Riberg noting records of fishermen as early as 1501 having a feast at the end of the fishing season before returning to Auressia with their catch "akin to that of a harvest supper."

Many historians, such as Dennis Brestrich and Chris Hasard, say that the first recorded Thanksgiving was when Avery Holcot landed on Holcot Inlet in 1486 and thanked God for "protecting their fleet in such wild territory." However, as it took place sometime between June 24th and June 28th, and as it was primarily a religious ceremony where all men in Hoclot's fleet applied clay to their chins to symbolise their strength and overcoming difficulties during their voyage, with no feast being held on that day, other historians such as Donald Molson and Harvey Riberg have argued that it had "no connection or very little connection" to the modern-day Thanksgiving that is celebrated in Surrow.

The first official day of Thanksgiving was in 1759 when Governor Josiah Matthews declared a day of thanksgiving to be held on "the fourteenth day of October" to celebrate the end of the Eleven Years War between Rythene and Tyrnica. While religious ceremonies were performed on that day, as the day fell on or near the traditional feast at the end of the fishing season, it is believed by most historians, like Dennis Brestrich, Donald Molson, and Harvey Riberg that this "day of thanksgiving" was the first "true Thanksgiving" on Surrow, as it incorporated many of the traditions that are associated with contemporary Surrowese Thanksgiving.

Although successive governors would not declare a day of thanksgiving on that date for over fifty years, records from the late eighteenth century and early nineteenth century would consistently refer to the day when the feast occurred in early-to-mid October as Thanksgiving, with Thanksgiving involving entire villages gathering at the local temple to mourn those who were lost at sea before having a feast inside the temple to celebrate the "bounty of the sea."

In 1825, Governor Abner Stedman proclaimed a day of Thanksgiving on the "second Monday of October" to celebrate the success of the Second Rythenean Revolution and to celebrate the "bounty of the sea without which no man may survive," and declared that Thanksgiving "shall forever fall on the specified day." Stedman's proclamation permanently tied the feast to celebrate the end of the fishing season with Thanksgiving, with the only times Thanksgiving was not proclaimed to fall on the second Monday of October being in 1914 and again in 1943 to give thanks for the ending of the First Great War and the Second Great War, with the dates being TBD and October 28th respectively.

In 1950, following Surrow's formal independence from Rythene, Thanksgiving was officially codified as a public holiday falling on the second Monday of October, with the holiday staying on that date ever since. Since the 1950s, as Surrow has urbanised, Thanksgiving customs changed, with dinners in Holcot Inlet decreasing as people began returning to their hometowns to attend their Thanksgiving dinners.

Customs

A TTA bus displaying "Happy Thanksgiving," 2019

In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, Surrowese usually travel back to their home communities, which in the context of Thanksgiving means the place where their ancestors had most recently lived before moving to either Holcot Inlet, Tulaktarvik, or Gateway. This has made the Thanksgiving weekend the busiest travel day of the year in Surrow, leading to a custom where entire families travel by chartered bus towards their home communities in order to avoid dealing with traffic congestion and spending too much on gas as gas prices usually spike during the Thanksgiving weekend.

Upon their arrival in their home community, the Thanksgiving meal traditionally takes place at a local temple or at the local community centre, with preparations being made for at least two weeks prior to Thanksgiving. Traditionally, the Thanksgiving meal takes place in the early evening, but since the early 1990s, there has been a trend to have multiple sittings spanning from lunch to supper to ensure that everyone who arrives in their home community can attend the Thanksgiving celebrations. Some historians, such as Molson, have argued that it may have been an outgrowth of having two separate meals in Tern Harbour for the town's Rythenean and Tyrnican communities, but others, such as Hasard have said that it is due to community centres or temples being "unable to accommodate over one-to-two hundred people at once."

The meal itself involves a traditional dance performance by a local group, usually either a country dance or a Tyrnican country dance, followed by a priest or the mayor reading the names of those who were lost at sea in the past year before performing a toast to all who have lost their lives at sea. This is then followed by saying grace before eating the meal, and then at the end of the meal, another traditional dance performance is performed.

After the meal, families usually spend time in their home community, either at a relative's house, or in an outdoor environment before returning home later in the day or the following morning.

Cuisine

A plate of home dinner

Due to Thanksgiving falling at the end of the fishing season, most of the dishes consumed at Thanksgiving are fish-based.

The three most prominent dishes associated with Thanksgiving are flipper pie, made from cured and salted seal flippers and vegetables and covered with pastry akin to a traditional meat pie; home dinner, comprised of salt beef boiled with potatoes, carrots, cabbages, turnips, and greens, and alongside raisin pudding, stuffing, and pease pudding, and fish and brewis, comprised of fish and hardtack and typically served alongside with scrunchions, or fried pork rinds. It is customary to serve fish and brewis and either flipper pie, home dinner, or both dishes at Thanksgiving.

Other foods commonly consumed during Thanksgiving include fishcake with summer savoury; fish hash; fish soup, usually made with cod and berries; rolled fish, made with pickled cod rolled up in a cylindrical shape around an onion and salt filling; fish fingers, usually made with cod; cod or haddock casserole, made with pasta and either cod or haddock, and topped with hardtack; cod chowder, made with cod, sea lettuce and corn, hardtack, and milk; scrod, made from filleting a small cod or haddock and then baking it, and prawn soup, made with shrimp. Common sides at Thanksgiving include mashed potatoes, potato salad, cod or haddock salad, shrimp, and sea lettuce.

Traditionally, whiskey is consumed at the Thanksgiving dinner, with a shot of whiskey traditionally consumed "at once" after the toast to those lost at sea to "honor their memories," with subsequent drinks are expected to be nursed throughout the night in order to "preserve the supply of whiskey." For those who are either too young to consume whiskey, usually under the age of 13, or who choose not to drink alcohol, apple cider is an acceptable alternative to whiskey. However, whiskey's popularity has been in decline since the 1990s, with some community centres banning the consumption of whiskey and other alcoholic beverages at Thanksgiving dinners due to liability concerns, and in recent years, other beverages, such as soft drinks, beer, or water, have become more acceptable.

The traditional desserts consumed on Thanksgiving are blueberry pie, which is traditionally made from the last wild blueberries harvested in the season, and bakeapple pie, which is made from the last cloudberries harvested in the season, although in recent years, most of the berries are imported from other countries such as Albrennia. However, in recent years, pumpkin pie and apple pie, primarily imported from Albrennia has become popular as an alternative Thanksgiving dessert to blueberry pie.