When you think of Thanksgiving, it may bring to your mind football, pumpkin pie, turkey, or even the Thanksgiving Day parade. But for many people across America, it is more than that: a day when families come together and celebrate being thankful in ways that incorporate their cultural and religious traditions. While the origins of Thanksgiving date back to the early settlers, Thanksgiving is still celebrated by many people in America from many races or cultures today, showcased in the foods eaten and the various traditions and customs followed.
Thanksgiving is a celebration shaped by the diversity of those who participate in it. People from various backgrounds combine their customs with American customs, creating unique Thanksgiving traditions. Most of the time, this is shown in the food people eat at Thanksgiving dinner. For Junior Michelle Umana, the celebration her family has includes traditional Hispanic dishes. She says, “We make mole and tamales.”
For Senior Eliana Sholin, her family’s traditions extend beyond food. She shared “The one thing we always do at Thanksgiving is set up my grandma’s Christmas tree, and me and my brother always help.” Each of the different ways of celebrating Thanksgiving shows how it is the mixing of other customs that makes this holiday so important for people.
To different people, Thanksgiving has a different meaning, often influenced by their own experiences or their traditions. Thanksgiving is a time to unwind and spend time with people you love such as family and friends. Umana explained that to her Thanksgiving is a time for “quality time with people that you have not spent time with in a while, such as cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents.” On that same note, for Sholin, Thanksgiving is a time to enjoy with loved ones, as she said, “It means getting to spend time with family and my grandma’s cats.” No matter what traditions are celebrated, across cultures, Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate with family, reconnect with loved ones, and create new memories and customs.
Thanksgiving often shares a similar feeling of togetherness with other holidays that are based on community, traditions, and family. For example, Umana compared Thanksgiving to Christmas, stating that it evokes the same feeling of connection. Similarly, Sholin compared Thanksgiving to Hanukkah, describing it to be “a festival of lights, but also a festival of community and being around your family and other people.” While there are many different cultural traditions and practices that people take part in, these various comparisons show that family and togetherness are core aspects of each of these celebrations.
For me, Thanksgiving morning starts with the Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade loudly played on my tv – a tradition that I never miss. After that, we head to my family friend’s house for our annual Thanksgiving lunch, which is filled with good food and fun memories. This year the kids added a tradition where we played holiday games, such as the cotton ball game, which put everyone in a competitive spirit and had everyone laughing.
Thanksgiving is more than a holiday brought together by history, it is a celebration that reflects the diversity of all who celebrate it. Each tradition and custom added by families on Thanksgiving showcases just how unique and diverse America is. Whether you are simply spending time with loved ones, enjoying tamales, or setting up the Christmas tree, Thanksgiving is a time that brings everyone together, in the spirit of gratitude, and the joy of creating memories.
