Thanksgiving break takes place every November, this year, it occurs between the 26th-30th. Thanksgiving is a time for everyone to spend time with family and friends and give thanks to one another. HC students celebrate their Thanksgiving traditions in a variety of ways, whether that is staying at home, going on vacation, etc.
In a poll of twenty students from HC, eleven people said they are spending Thanksgiving at home, while nine said they are travelling somewhere. Despite the location, everyone spends Thanksgiving differently, some partaking in classic traditions and others in unique ones.
Some of the most popular traditions include friendsgiving, watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, watching football, having a Thanksgiving feast, Turkey Trot, spending time with family, and giving thanks to loved ones.
One of those Thanksgiving traditions is friendsgiving. This is where a group of friends gather together to eat, play games, and spend time together. Typically, friends will go around and say why they’re thankful for each other before eating, and then play board games or Thanksgiving-related games. These games could include pie eating contests, trivia, bingo, etc.
Not only do traditions occur in person, you can also participate through a screen. Many people across America stream the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. It takes place in New York City every Thanksgiving and it consists of music, large floats (typically of cartoon characters), performers, and more.
Watching football is a common part of many traditions. This year the games consist of the Green Bay Packers vs. the Detroit Lions at 1:00 p.m., the Kansas City Chiefs vs. the Dallas Cowboys at 4:30 p.m., and the Cincinnati Bengals vs. the Baltimore Ravens at 8:20 p.m.
Out of all of these traditions, the Thanksgiving feast is the most popular. Family and friends gather around the dinner table with an assortment of delicious food. This feast usually includes turkey, ham, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, stuffing, macaroni and cheese, bread rolls, green beans, cornbread, and more.
For dessert, the most common is pies, specifically pumpkin pie. As well as apple pie, pecan pie, and sweet potato pie. Not only do people enjoy pies, more popular desserts include carrot cake, cheesecake, bread pudding, and pumpkin rolls.
For the people wanting to get active before eating all of the food, the turkey trot is a great way to do so. This tradition is a 5K or 3.1 miles that participants can run or walk in. The purpose is to raise donations and awareness for local charities. They take place all across the United States and people come out the morning of Thanksgiving while building up an appetite for the feast later.
To wrap this up, Thanksgiving break is a great time for students to spend time with their family and friends and give thanks to one another. While traditions look different for everyone, they help us to remember the main reason we celebrate Thanksgiving and to do it in a fun way.
