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Thanksgiving reminds us of the importance of having gratitude and spending quality time with family. Moreover, It gives students a chance to recharge over the four-day weekend and enjoy their favorite Thanksgiving traditions.
“Thanksgiving is different for me since my family is Canadian. We celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving on the second Monday in October, but we still have a family dinner on Thanksgiving night. My mom will make Nanaimo Bars [a Canadian dessert] with steak and potatoes,” senior Rory Ritchie said.
For others, Thanksgiving morning starts early with an itinerary full of activities to burn off some calories for a big dinner. Sophomore Boden Freeborn plays in the Wild Turkey Open at Overlake Golf and Country Club, a one-club, alternate shot challenge where members pick a relative or friend as their partner.
“I love being able to spend my morning playing golf with my dad, uncle and grandpa. I can do what I love with my family, and it is always fun to enter the ugly Christmas sweater competition! Getting my body moving early makes me feel a little less guilty about eating extra servings of dessert,” Freeborn said.
Although staying at home is nice, many families like to get away and travel. Thanksgiving weekend is a wonderful time to see relatives and spend the early holiday season together.
“My family and I go to Turkey to see my grandma. We have a big dinner on Thanksgiving night, and I see old friends throughout the week. Being able to celebrate Thanksgiving in my home country is important to me,” senior Kaan Tumen said.
“Every year we go to my grandparents’ house in Palm Springs. It is nice to hang out by the pool in the desert weather with my family and get away from the rain back home,” senior Carys Liffick explained.
Others spend time talking for hours at the dinner table, reminiscing on old memories, and playing games.
“We always love to play Monopoly after dinner. It is an awesome way to spend the rest of the night with my loved ones. It is a simple tradition, but everyone is always so excited to play and have fun with each other,” senior Justin Lee said.
In my house, we watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation after dinner. Nothing beats cozying up with my family and having a few laughs before a good night's sleep.
Every student has a unique way they spend Thanksgiving. Some like to sleep in late and load up on food, while others are playing football games or running a 5K. However, I think we can all agree that Thanksgiving is about enjoying time with family and the ones you love, slowing down, and appreciating the more important things in life.
