Maddie Prater, editor
eSomethin staff
As the year starts to slow down, we enter a season of falling leaves and cozy knit sweaters. Frozen lemonades turn into warm apple cider, and beach towels turn into fluffy blankets and throw pillows.
Halloween has passed, and many turn their gaze towards the day of food on November 27 – that’s right, Thanksgiving.
Historical Thanksgiving Feasts and Games
The holiday was named “Thanksgiving” because of its purpose: to celebrate thankfulness and generosity.
The very first Thanksgiving dinner was in the fall season of 1621 and lasted three whole days. Wild goose and seafood were served alongside lots of corn, beans, and squash, slightly different than traditional Thanksgiving meals today.
At the first holiday, Hubbub and other traditional Wampanoag games along with Naughts and Crosses (Tic-Tac-Toe) were played.
Hubbub is a dice game where points are awarded based on how the die lands in the bowl. Music and dancing were also very likely to have occurred.
Thanksgiving football is a well-known pastime, though it didn’t actually start until about 1876. The first Thanksgiving game was between Princeton and Yale.
Today’s Thanksgiving reflects changing traditions
Today’s Thanksgiving menu is something along the lines of pumpkin pie, turkey, gravy, cranberry sauce, and lots of potatoes.
For some families, the yearly celebration looks a little different. From unconventional foods and traditions, they find a way to personalize the day.
We did a survey on unique traditions and foods that families may have on Thanksgiving.
On the food side, we received responses like mixing avocado into mac & cheese, beans with mayonnaise, and swapping pie for jello.
Ren Wozny, a 10th grader at PHS, said that his dad has been doing themed Thanksgivings since 2022.
“He told us that Thanksgiving this year [2022] would be themed. The theme was breakfast. My siblings and I loved this, so my dad made it yearly,” Wozny said.
In 2024, the Wozny family Thanksgiving featured tacos.
Wozny shared that he and his siblings don’t know what surprise this year will bring.
“It’s great not having two Thanksgiving’s back-to-back with the exact same food,” he said.
Arabella Brouwer is a freshman at PHS whose family alternates the Thanksgiving host.
“Me and my family always alternate Thanksgiving – either we host it or we drive over to my mom’s side and have Thanksgiving over with that family,” she said.
“Me and my older cousin will race to see who can eat first and make it to my Aunt’s death by chocolate,” Brouwer said. “My cousin somehow will always be first and get two huge scoops of death by chocolate, leaving us with half the bowl.”
Turkey
The Butterball’s Turkey-Talk hotline says it receives roughly 10,000 calls on Thanksgiving alone for advice on cooking.
But Turkey day isn’t always about the turkey. Some students’ families said they include foods from other cultures, such as a variety of Italian and Mexican food, Dosas, and homemade tamales. Integrating food from around the world makes Thanksgiving more exciting and personal.
When you’re driving past houses on November 27 this year, take a moment to imagine what traditions may be happening inside.
Family reunions, decorating pumpkins, or an after-dinner spelling bee are just some of the traditions we’ve heard from students. Some even skip ahead and put up Christmas decorations together.
Every family has a different outlook and story for the holidays.
These unique traditions create memories that will last a lifetime, ordinary or not.
So, what does your Thanksgiving look like?
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