Thanksgiving, which is celebrated every year on the fourth Thursday of November in our country, is a time for being with family, eating food, and remembering what we are grateful for. It traditionally marks a day of giving thanks for the harvest and the blessings of the past year. For many of us, the day is filled with our family gatherings and feasts, the main course being turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, and the chance to express our gratitude. Here at our school, students each have their fun and personal memories of Thanksgiving that reflect the heart of the holiday.
Student, Calista Nguyen (11), celebrates Thanksgiving with her family by starting a special tradition where they gather in a circle and take turns to share what they are each thankful for. In terms of food, Calista enjoys an Asian-American feast, with crab rangoons, spring rolls, sweet potatoes, stuffing, and instead of the usual turkey, a duck. Each year, her family shares a fun and diverse way of celebrating this holiday, reflecting her heritage.
Ethan Lee’s (12) Thanksgiving tradition begins with an early morning hike in the hills near his house. Before the big meal, Ethan and his family love to go out and spend time together, enjoying autumn’s colors and the beauty of nature. During his Thanksgiving meal, Ethan’s traditional foods include ham, ribs, asparagus, mashed potatoes, and tomato soup. After the table is cleared, Ethan’s family continues their Thanksgiving tradition by going around the room, explaining why they are grateful for each family member, and sharing a favorite memory from the past years.
For Kenzi Reiter (11), Thanksgiving is always celebrated at her grandma’s lakehouse in Lake Arrowhead. Her tradition involves gathering with her entire family, who all bring a board game and play until the Thanksgiving meal. Whether it’s Monopoly, Scrabble, or Uno, the games all bring everyone back together that create and spark memories. Her meal is a mix of traditional favorites, like stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn pudding, turkey, and pumpkin pie. “I love being able to spend quality time with my family every year and continue our long-lasting tradition,” says Kenzi. Only memories of pure laughter and joy remind Kenzi of Thanksgiving at her grandma’s lakehouse.
On Thanksgiving Day, Ravi Shapatel (11) and his family make their way to his grandparents’ house in Fullerton. The living room is filled with excitement and spirit as Ravi and his family watch and cheer on the football games while in the kitchen, his grandma is busy making her famous and beloved pumpkin pie. At mealtime, he and his family share their blessings and enjoy meat, potatoes, and especially, his grandma’s pumpkin pie.
While each student’s Thanksgiving tradition is memorable and unique, they all share common themes of precious, quality time with family. Reflective moments around the table and the laughter of shared memories can remind us that Thanksgiving is more than just a meal but an opportunity to pause and truly appreciate the people in our lives, celebrating the times we create together.
