Stepping outside during the day these past few weeks may not have felt too much like the fall we all know and love. This has not stopped it from looking the part with all of the wonderful colors and leaves adorning the trees and walkways across the campus. The crunchy sounds of the leaves underfoot solidify in our hearts and minds that it is in fact, Autumn. Despite the warm weather, Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Personally, Thanksgiving embodies the feelings and flavors of this season filled with reflection. The time spent with family, friends, and food is timeless and priceless. Not every Thanksgiving looks the same for each student. Every person and family has some Thanksgiving traditions, whether that is a strange dessert or not celebrating at all. I interviewed a few different students around campus to gather some fun stories about Thanksgiving to get everyone thinking about the season coming upon us. Perhaps, you will find a tradition that you want to incorporate into your celebration!
“Every Thanksgiving morning, my family gathers to the living room and we watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade together. We laugh at some of the crazy things they do but also get to relax and enjoy each other’s company.” – Emma Spanjer, 2028
“One of our traditions is we gather as a huge family and we just eat a bunch of times. We eat a lot, and near the end of the day, we put our names in a hat and pick them out for our Secret Santa in preparation for December.” -Jacinth Tran, 2025
“One thing we do is say what we are thankful for at the dinner table and break the wishbone of the turkey.” -Diane Pak, 2026
“Every single Thanksgiving morning we wake up and watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and we eat cinnamon rolls, sausage rolls, and hashbrown casserole. Then Football!” -Alison Harris, 2025
“One of my favorite family traditions is every year for Thanksgiving, my sisters and I gather with my grandmother. We get together to make her unique apple pie. We can’t do it on our own! We have tried it and we cannot replicate it how she does it we just don’t know how. So we are relying on her to keep this tradition going.” -Matthew Giunta, 2021
“Some Thanksgiving traditions of my family are we will all make food together and sit around the table. Then we will figuratively pass out because of all the food and then watch a movie together. Although, we are usually all sleeping by then because of the food!” -Sarah Hopkins, 2026
“Some of my favorite Thanksgiving traditions are watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade in the morning. We then go to my Dad’s side of the family with all of my cousins and have a Thanksgiving meal together. Then we all watch football!” -Mary Kulp, 2027
“My family’s tradition is having lots of drinks. Anything. All types of sodas all types of juice really anything!” -Zachary, 2027
“My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is going to my aunt’s house with all my family and just celebrating Thanksgiving.” -James Ugorgi, 2027
“We usually do a Turkey Bowl. It’s usually lowkey if it’s just our immediate family. If we have our extended family, it’s more fun because we have our uncles, cousins, and aunts playing. We also have a dish that some people know about, but it is a sweet potato casserole with marshmallows on top. It is a very controversial dish so you either like it or you don’t. Personally, I am not the biggest fan of it but it is kind of like a staple, so you have to make it every year.” -Ellie Folga, 2027
“A silly thing that my family does, is we always get a rubber chicken out, for my papi because he doesn’t eat any birds. He doesn’t eat turkey or chicken. So, we always have ham and get a little chicken out, a little squishy toy.” -Alice Van Eman, 2026
From cinnamon rolls to rubber chickens, there are lots of different ways to celebrate Thanksgiving. These are just a few of the stories of different ways to celebrate Thanksgiving, but hopefully, they reminded you of your own traditions and got you hungry to celebrate soon!
Hannah Bonanducci