It seems a little odd to have a holiday that focuses on one group taking another's land as the way we come together to celebrate community, prosperity, having food on the table, and, for some, the grand, arcane ritual of football.

And yet, Thanksgiving is one of those holidays that's hard to overlook - whether you decide to celebrate it by not celebrating it; by getting together with friends and self-created family; or decide to hang tight with your family of origin, in their own blended glory.

This is a Thanksgiving in Oakland where we're almost a year out with a new mayor, while our problems with unemployment, mortgage and foreclosure, bringing businesses into Oakland - and truly supporting local businesses - have not abated.  For too many of us, the promise of an eased recession has not happened, and we're asking, "How long, how long?" 

Many of us are taking action, aligning with the Occupy Wall Street/Occupy Oakland movements; others are finding their way through other community efforts - and there are many in this town.

I'm spending my Thanksgiving in Oakland with a mix of family and friends, including some OLers, my partner and my ex-husband. I am grateful we have food to put on the table, and are inside and warm.

For me, one of the things that makes Oakland special is the rich mosaic of our people. The city is so diverse with so many neighborhoods, communities and, yes, tribes, that it's never boring. And in some ways, Oakland also is a big small town where you constantly run into people you know.

In celebration of the season, OL's pulled together a gallery of photos of Oaklanders celebrating Thanksgiving. Click through and see if you see yourself here - and send us any photos from this Thanksgiving you'd like us to share so everyone can see what our town looks like as we gather. Send to thanksgiving[at]oaklandlocal.com.

See what we look like on Thanksgiving here and here.