Keith Urban Recalls “Insane” First Thanksgiving in the United States

Having spent the majority of his childhood in Australia, singer Keith Urban knew little about the customs of America. Although the singer eventually moved to the United States in 1992, he had no idea what to expect when it came to holiday traditions and just how much the country cared about Thanksgiving. For any person who grew up in America, Thanksgiving is not only a day to give thanks and watch football, but it is a time to extend that waistline and forget about those pesky diets. And for Urban, his first Thanksgiving came with a great deal of shock. 

Halloween has its candy and Christmas has presents, but for Thanksgiving – it’s all about the food. Each American remembers waiting for the turkey to finish, watching the desserts come out, or trying to skim a taste before setting the table. No matter the state or tradition, food is at the center of Thanksgiving. Depending on the size of the family, the amount of food offered on the holiday can be both overwhelming and somewhat of a challenge. Given Urban knew little about the holiday, he recalled his surprise when he was first introduced to Thanksgiving. 

[RELATED: Keith Urban on Songwriting: “The Song is the Beginning of Everything”]

The Insane Amount Of Food

Discussing his first Thanksgiving in the United States, Urban joked about never seeing so much food in one place. “The first Thanksgiving I ever had here, which was 25 years ago, ‘cause I’ve been here a long time now, but the first one I ever had, I remember going to this family’s home, they invited me to Thanksgiving, and I couldn’t believe the volume of food. It was insane. I’ve never seen so much food in my life.”

While it took Urban a moment to collect his thoughts and prepare for the feast in front of him, he only watched the food double when it came time for desserts. The singer explained, “There was like 12 desserts. I was like, ‘Why are there so many desserts?’ They said, ‘Well, because every aunt and every grandma, everybody brought their thing, their special dessert, and you have to try every one of ‘em.’ I’m like, ‘There’s like three apple cobblers.’”

Trying to understand the amount of food and desserts, Urban laughed when a member of the family educated him on the importance of trying each one. He said, “They’re like, ‘Yeah, but they’re made by different people and they’re all watching, so you have to make sure you try everything up there.’”

Having spent nearly three decades in the United States, the Grammy winner has grown accustomed to the holiday and is always thankful for his wife, Nicole Kidman, and their two daughters. 

(Featured Image by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)