Perspectives on Celebrating Thanksgiving by Megan T.

Many people around the world celebrate holidays differently. In particular, people from different cultural backgrounds have unique ways of getting festive for Thanksgiving. You can’t say that all cultures do the same thing because there are often little twists to each family's traditions. For the Thanksgiving holiday, people typically get together with relatives and spend time doing a variety of activities. No matter what tradition you have, family time is usually front and center. Thanksgiving is one of the most celebrated holidays in America, and although it looks and feels a little different this year due to the pandemic, I thought I'd ask some of our JW family how they celebrate.

First, I would like to share about my family’s custom. We like to follow the most common one, which is to eat turkey. However, although we eat turkey for Thanksgiving, we also add many other scrumptious foods to the menu. For example, we eat chicken, which is very classic, some beef, like steak, or Asian ribs, soup, and maybe some standard sushi rolls. That is just part of the feast. Appetizers consist of cornbread, cheese, salads, and many other eccentric snacks. Dessert includes Bûche de Noël--a fancy cake--pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and cookies.

Mrs. Messing said that she devours the turkey and cranberry sauce, some sweet potatoes, green beans, mashed potatoes, and some delicious stuffing. Additionally, for dessert she and her family eat mouthwatering pumpkin pie with cream cheese frosting. Ms. Shayuth said she exercises and runs in the morning and then eats some festive food, which includes a turkey, with her family afterward. Lastly, Mrs. Tarzy said she enjoys eating some turkey and mac and cheese with her family. A JW student added that their family also eats turkey, and they have some family fun time after the big meal. The majority of students that I interviewed also said they eat turkey and spend fun time with their family.

Even though we all have different ways of celebrating, they are all special in some way, especially when we get to spend time with our family. Even though this year has been challenging unlike any other, we still have a lot to be thankful for. I hope you and your family have a safe, fun, and relaxing Thanksgiving break!