Thanksgiving Traditions
By Ellie B.
What foods are most commonly associated with Thanksgiving? Perhaps turkey? Mashed potatoes? Or maybe even pie? If you are a NorthStar Academy student, you might associate fried rice with Thanksgiving. NSA students come from all around the world. This means that when it comes to the holidays, in many ways a lot of their celebrations look very similar, but in some ways they may look different.
While every student’s life looks a little different, almost every NSA student who was asked about their Thanksgivings mentioned that they typically celebrate with their family. Some mentioned celebrating multiple times in order to celebrate with each side of their extended family. When asked who she typically celebrates the holiday with, Hannah said, “Sometimes family comes over, other times our friends, and other times no one comes over.” While Alex answered that “My family almost always celebrates thanksgiving.”
Every person interviewed mentioned turkey. Other than turkey, the foods that NSA students have during the holiday vary because they come from different backgrounds. They may even come from multiple cultures. “I live in Pennsylvania, but my family comes from a Nigerian background. This means that some of our traditions are blended together from both countries,” Onyi replied. Some discussed other kinds of meat including chicken, ham, and even shrimp. Other highlights included mashed potatoes, casseroles, and rolls.
Thankfulness is the central idea of Thanksgiving. On this day, many families go around the table during their meal and take turns sharing the things that they are thankful for. This is true of many NSA families. “We always say what we are thankful for, and then we thank God for whatever that would be,” Hannah commented. Some like to take the holiday time to enjoy the fall season. “I like to walk outside and enjoy the beautiful fall colors,” Gracie remarked. Taking time to spend Thanksgiving together and enjoy each other’s company is a common theme among many student’s holiday plans, “We just hang out and talk,” Rachel wrote, “as a kid, I would play with my cousins.”
“Some of my best family memories are from our yearly trips to places where the leaves change color,” Gracie said. The holidays are full of memories, and our traditions are a part of those memories. Thanksgiving is a time surrounded by gratitude, fun, family, and food. NorthStar Academy students all have their own unique traditions around the holiday, but they all have gratitude, fun, family, and food in common.
Columns: 🗓️Seasonal 🔎Informational
Ellie B. lives in Virginia, USA, with her parents, her one sibling, and her two dogs. This is her third year at NSA, and this will be her first year with the Navigator. She is in tenth grade and enjoys reading in her free time. She is a dancer with a focus on ballet and has plans to pursue it professionally in the future.