Gath Hewlett, who first celebrated the holiday in the US, said his family celebrates the holiday every year here.

“It’s a family event. … It has become a religious thing for my family. We are not Americans, but we still have to give thanks to God for health, family and even our jobs,” Mr. Hewlett said.

Apart for having a dinner with stuffed and baked turkey, the family goes to church for prayers and spends the rest of the evening playing music, according to Mr. Hewlett, who is a musician.

Dawn Boyea said she and her husband have celebrated Thanksgiving for the past three years.

A typical celebration for the family entails going to a local restaurant for dinner and ordering turkey.

“I love it because it is a time to give thanks to God,” Ms. Boyea said.

This year, though, might be different, she added: The family is most likely to go watch movies at the new Cineplex, which is scheduled to open this evening.

Americans

Then, of course, there are the American expatriates, who are widely represented here.

This Sunday at Nikki Goss’ home, the atmosphere will be festive, with lots of food and drinks, as her friends come over to share a Thanksgiving dinner with the Texas native.

But not everyone celebrates the holiday here.

“I don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, because it is an American holiday,” Bernet Scatliffe said. “Most people here don’t understand how it started. It has disintegrated into an eating fest.”

For many celebrants, the thanksgiving aspect seems to be missing, according to Ms. Scatliffe.

“The only thing that has stayed is the turkey story,” she quipped.

Deryn Edinboro feels similarly.

“Every day I give thanks to God,” Ms. Edinboro said, adding that Thanksgiving has no significance to Caribbean culture. “It is something we have adopted. It’s not a normal thing for us.”

Donald de Castro is strongly against the idea of observing the holiday in the VI.

“I don’t celebrate any holidays, period,” Mr. de Castro said, adding that most people who celebrate Thanksgiving here have ties to the US or have lived there for a number of years. “It is such a popular holiday that people now celebrate it.”

Tamantha Augustine said she doesn’t celebrate the day, but she sees it as an opportunity to enjoy fellowship, food and shopping.

“I look forward to the eating and the sales,” Ms. Augustine said.

Seniors’ lunch

Whether or not the day should be observed in the VI, residents of the Adina Donovan Home on Wednesday sat to lunch, as part of an observance of Thanksgiving hosted annually by The Moorings.

The seniors sat at their dining tables as the home’s staff members served them a lunch of fish, ham, turkey and other side dishes. As the seniors ate, a band serenaded them with Christmas carols.

Resident Avis Rogers said she believes that Thanksgiving should be every day, not just once a year. “I celebrate every day and thank the master for life,” Ms. Rogers said. “We should thank God for our lives every day, not just once a year.”