Thanksgiving marks the start of the holiday season and students celebrate in different ways. There are students who don’t think Thanksgiving is a big deal and others who look forward to it for the entire year.
Thanksgiving has been celebrated since 1621 when the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast in celebrations of the colonies.
Students look forward to all the food that comes with Thanksgiving like turkey, gravy, stuffing and mashed potatoes. “My favorite Thanksgiving food to exist would have to be the sweet potato with marshmallows,” junior Tyler Konigsberg said.
A common theme among families when it comes to traditions is football. Thanksgiving weekend is when Ohio State plays Michigan. The Detroit Lions continue their tradition of having a game every Thanksgiving by playing the Chicago Cubs this year. Aside from watching football, students play football with their friends and family. “My family plays in a flag football game and we have kept record over the years who has won. We keep the same teams each year and it’s so much fun and what I look forward to every year,” Konigsberg said.
Other students have laid back Thanksgivings with family nearby, like freshman Ryan Kunst. “I go to my grandparents’ house with a lot of family who lives here and we usually eat and watch football and watching football is my favorite part,” Kunst said.
Some students who do not see Thanksgiving as a big deal and take the time off as a break to catch up on rest. “I used to celebrate Thanksgiving with my uncle and my family when I was younger, but he moved so we just do a light celebration with my family now. I use my Thanksgiving break to chill,” junior Salma Tagnaouti said.
Other students view Thanksgiving as a big deal and they look forward to it almost as much as they do Hanukkah and Christmas. They have huge family gatherings with up to 50 people and everyone brings something to the table.
It is important to remember that for some, Thanksgiving is a time of anxiety, stress and heartache. Stress of putting together a perfect Thankgiving and anxiety of getting the long to do list done is stressful. It’s important to ask those hosting if they need help. If it is the student’s own home they can still help out. “I help my mom with the mashed pottaos,” Kunst said.
