Student’s Thanksgiving Traditions and Plans

  Thanksgiving is celebrated on November 25. Students are given a one week break from the 22 to 26 of November to celebrate Thanksgiving. Over the years, the celebration of Thanksgiving has evolved in many ways. However many people have tended to stay close to the older traditions. 

  Junior Payton Murphey celebrates Thanksgiving with their extended family. She said that most of her family lives in Upland so she tends to go to Upland during the holiday. “I celebrate with all of my 28 cousins and other family members.” She tends to have a fairly traditional meal. She explains that “because I have such a large family we make mass amounts of each type of food. We make lots of different turkeys, pies, and other sides for the feast.” A unique tradition that her and her family have involves them reciting a prayer before eating. The prayer was started by her late grandfather, and has continued for many years. 

  Natalie Poe(11) also spends Thanksgiving with her family and her extended family. She typically goes to her grandparents house, but sometimes her family hosts Thanksgiving dinner at their home. Her family eats “turkey, twice baked potatoes, apple and pumpkin pie, and [her] grandma’s fruit salad.” A special tradition in her family is that “Every year the grandchildren always help grandma make Thanksgiving dinner.”

  Junior Karissa Benjamin also spends the day with her family. She explained that she always goes to her aunt’s house. She goes with her “parents, aunts, uncle, cousins.” They always eat “turkey, pumpkin and apple pie, stuffing and potatoes.”

  Although many people do not celebrate Thanksgiving for the meaning of the event, they still celebrate it as a chance to spend it with family and friends.