Whether you celebrate the day with loved ones and gather around the table to say grace or celebrate the day by watching the parade and football, Thanksgiving traditions in America vary among each family. Most spend this annual holiday appreciating the great events that have happened and list the things that they are thankful for. Turkey Day, as some may call it, is approaching us rather quickly this year, so it’s important to sit back and think, “What does Thanksgiving really mean to me?”
The dinner table can look different for each family. While some invite a large majority of their relatives and extensive family and friends, others may only spend the day with their immediate family. With family comes food, and usually lots of it. The most common meals include turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, corn, various casseroles, and candied yams. Popular desserts include pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and apple pie. Some families also get into the Christmas spirit early and break out the eggnog!
Though it is stereotypical to have a giant turkey in the middle of your dining room table, a large number of Americans don’t necessarily have the same traditions. Some families may swap out turkey for ham, or some may not have any meat at all on the table depending on their diet and religion. Some United States citizens have never celebrated Thanksgiving as well. Foreigners who have just moved to the country, for example. Since other countries do not celebrate Thanksgiving, they are probably extremely confused as to why they are supposed to commemorate the harvest festival that was initially celebrated by Pilgrims and the Native Americans in 1921.
So, you may be wondering, “What do those from other countries celebrate when Thanksgiving day rolls around?” Boris van der Hooven, a ninth grader at Bernards who just moved from Holland this September, tells us how he is going to spend his four day weekend.
Boris, along with the other foreigners do not celebrate the popular holiday of Thanksgiving. He said, “I’ve not celebrated Thanksgiving personally since I didn’t live in the United States during last year’s Thanksgiving.” This year, I plan to go to Washington D.C. with my family to try to pick up on some American culture and celebrate what I am thankful for. He then said, “I think it’s an important holiday because you are thankful for the things that you have. This year, I’m thankful for the fact that I’m healthy and that I have a lot of awesome friends here in the United States.”
New citizens from other countries similar to Boris are all wondering the same thing. It’s extremely difficult to come to a new country and have to quickly pick up on their culture and ways of life, especially during hectic months such as November and December. In conclusion, Thanksgiving, one of America’s most loved holidays, should be spent around the people you love, food you enjoy, and the positivity and warmth that it brings.
