As November hits, so does the excitement of Thanksgiving. Every year, the fourth Thursday of November is spent sitting around the dinner table, cutting into a roasted turkey and giving thanks with the people we love. With the many students who celebrate Thanksgiving here at SPFHS, there are an endless number of traditions that are practiced. For some it’s the classics: watching the football game on television, watching the Thanksgiving Day parade and having a feast with the people you love. However, others follow their own unique traditions.
Different recipes are what make the Thanksgiving meal unique to so many students. These recipes are passed down from generation to generation within families.
”My grandma used to make the turkey, and she had a very specific way of making it, and that got passed down to my mother. So eventually that’ll be passed down to me,” SPFHS senior Samantha Cohn explained.
Traditions are the sharing of beliefs and customs to generations to come. They are also the elements that make Thanksgiving so comfortable and special.
“One of the traditions we have is always going to my aunt’s house and all of our family gathers. All of our cousins come, too, and we watch movies,” SPFHS sophomore Karla Segarra said.
Not only is Thanksgiving a time to eat good food and relax, but it is also a time to give thanks to many people. As the story of Thanksgiving’s origin says, Thanksgiving started as a feast that brought people together. Although a lot of the traditions we see today are not related to Thanksgiving’s origin, we can still see its purpose and message being carried out today.
“Thanksgiving is being grateful for things. I think definitely, as I’ve matured, I am more grateful for what I have. But just being able to tell people and being more vulnerable about that builds great connections with the family,” Cohn shared.
Thanksgiving has a different meaning for everyone, but as a whole it’s a day to be grateful. Showing gratitude looks different for everyone, especially at SPFHS. While some go around the table and say what they’re grateful for, others use the time to just be close to the people they love.
Students here at SPFHS practice their favorite traditions as a way of saying thanks. Football seems to be a favorite tradition for many students, whether it’s watching it on the big screen, or playing it with family. Other students spend the day playing games and cooking traditional Thanksgiving foods.
“[We eat] turkey, cornbread, cake…” Segarra said.
For many, food is the focus of Thanksgiving and gives it the reputation it has. SPFHS’s favorite Thanksgiving dishes are things like turkey, mac and cheese, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and stuffing. Students tend to eat this meal and spend the holiday at a grandparent’s house, their own, or other family member’s. If it’s someone special to them, they make sure to include them in their holiday celebration.
Thanksgiving is a day filled with tradition and meaning. It’s a day to give thanks and spend time with the people important to you. At SPFHS tradition is what holds the foundation of Thanksgiving together and it is what keeps it so close to students’ hearts.
