Turkey day traditions

Thanksgiving is a very customizable holiday, as it reflects the culture and background of each family. This uniqueness makes it special and makes you wonder about the food on other peoples’ tables. I asked the students of Louisville High School their personal Thanksgiving traditions and how they spend the holiday.

Some people do lunch or dinner as their main meal, but Jordanna Bartlett ’26 and her family do it a little differently: 

Rayne Anouti ’28 has the traditional big dinner with cousins, saying, “there are always like 20 people.” It is a great feat to cook for the whole family that is accomplished by her mom with help from other family members. 

Coming from a Lebanese background, she said, “Our table is always [filled with] traditional Lebanese food, and everyone goes home with a lot of leftovers,” which is arguably the best part of Thanksgiving. 

Sometimes Thanksgiving day is not the main event. Payton Gunther ’28 commented on her family’s post Turkey day routine: 

“My family is half Hungarian, so one day we have regular Thanksgiving and the next day we go to my grandparents house and have Hungarian food,” said Gunther ’28. It is always comforting to be able to eat nostalgic food at your grandparents house, especially after the rush of Thanksgiving day preparations.

Christine Chen ’26 is an international student, so she talked about her family's take on Thanksgiving: 

“I am Chinese, so last year with my parents instead of turkey we had roast duck,” said Chen ’26. Even though it is nicknamed turkey day, turkey is not always the centerpiece on every table.

Mr. Dan gets a special mention in this article. When asked about his usual plans, he said, “I spend thanksgiving with my friends. I try to vary what I do and spend it with different friends.” His plans  include “going to New York this year,” adding that he is, “going to spend it with my grammar school and high school friends.” Although he says he does not cook, Mr. Dan is always down to bring the dessert. 

Thanksgiving looks different for everyone. But, I think we can all agree it is a day meant for expressing gratitude and sharing a nice meal with loved ones. 

Spend this holiday off school being around the people you are grateful for, because that is what Thanksgiving is all about.