Holiday somber in Paris
PARIS – The turkey will be dished up with heaps of sadness for thousands of American expatriates celebrating Thanksgiving in Paris following the city’s worst attacks in recent memory.
For some, it’s an opportunity for a return to relative peace, following the Nov. 13 attacks on a rock concert, cafes and the national stadium that left 130 dead and traumatized the nation.
“It’s definitely a great time to get together with friends. We have to return to some level of normalcy,” said teaching assistant Nadia Alhadi of Detroit, who acknowledged her Thanksgiving will be bittersweet.
She was dashing to a local American-run shop to stock up on last-minute supplies of pumpkin puree and chicken broth Thursday afternoon.
“It’s absolutely terrible what happened. There’s a lot to be thankful about this year. Number one: that I’m safe because I was near the Bataclan when it happened,” she said, referring to the concert hall where at least 89 people were killed when three gunmen opened fire during a concert by Eagles of Death Metal.
Judith Bluysen, the owner of a Paris shop named “Thanksgiving,” had less time for reflection as she dealt with the daunting line in her tiny shop.
“It’s a big week for us, it takes months of preparation,” she said, pointing to a large refrigerated truck outside, hired to store the overflow of turkeys.
Melissa Kenzig started preparing her apple-and-sweet potato pies in advance Tuesday, to make time to pay respects at the Bataclan on Wednesday. “It’s a melancholy day,” she said.