Skip to Content
Categories:

Turkey Traditions: How Do Students Celebrate Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving poster created on Canva by Sarah Williams.
Thanksgiving poster created on Canva by Sarah Williams.

Every year the fourth Thursday of November seems to be the perfect reliever for students at State High. Thanksgiving is a time for students to take a break from their studies, hang out with friends and family, and eat good food. Along with these shared activities come a variety of Thanksgiving traditions. 

“One tradition my family always does, is we always have a late lunch with family and friends. Another tradition we used to do was for many years when all of us kids were younger we would have an egg hunt around the house,” senior Jessica Hawbaker said. 

Some traditions, like eating turkey, are so ingrained in United States culture. are practiced in the United States every year, maybe without families even knowing. The USDA estimates that over 46 million are eaten on Thanksgiving each year. 

In the White House, however, turkey traditions are a little different. Starting in 1963, John F. Kennedy was the first president to save or “pardon” a turkey during Thanksgiving, allowing the turkey to live freely on a farm as the “National Thanksgiving Turkey.” Since then, on every Thanksgiving, the president of the United States carries out this tradition to save one turkey from the holiday feast. 

Another long-lasting tradition in the United States is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Every Thanksgiving day, families can expect to see the Macy’s parade on all or almost all news channels like the Today Show, Good Morning America, and NBC. The parade, which started in 1924, has risen to be one of the longest-lasting parades in the United States, because of the traditions the parade still carries today. Santa’s sleigh float and many other floats and character balloons have made an appearance since 1924. 

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is not the only thing playing on T.Vs. According to CNN, in 2022 over 42.1 million people tuned in to watch the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys face off against the New York Giants on Thanksgiving. 

Foods from different traditions play a huge role in the Thanksgiving celebration. For many families, these foods might include things like turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and gravy. Typically the food eaten at Thanksgiving models itself after the 1621 harvest feast between the English colonists in Plymouth and the Wampanoag people.

In 2024, families have moved beyond just turkey and potatoes at their dinner table. What once seemed to be a holiday rooted in just turkey, now features foods like ham, turkey meatloaf, and even tofu-turkey for vegetarian families.

“My family usually eats turkey, ham, stuffing, potatoes, and a lot more. But then the next day we always wake up early and go out for Black Friday shopping,” junior Paige Moriarta said. 

One of the more stressful aspects of Thanksgiving is all the traveling Americans do in order to spend the holidays with loved ones. This year it is expected that over 80 million people will travel for Thanksgiving. So why do people add so much added pressure just for one day? Since grade school, students have been taught that Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on what you are thankful for, or more importantly who you are thankful for. Worrying about missing your flight or forgetting to bring the right dessert seems to be obsolete when it comes to celebrating with the people you care about most. 

“We do not travel for Thanksgiving, all of our family from my mom and dad’s side come to our house to celebrate,” Hawbaker said.

So whether you are looking forward to turkey or ham—or any other tradition your family takes part in—Thanksgiving is a time to enjoy and be thankful for all of the meaningful people in your life. 

Donate to Lions' Digest
$405
$550
Contributed
Our Goal

Your donation will support the student journalists of State College Area High School. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.

More to Discover
Donate to Lions' Digest
$405
$550
Contributed
Our Goal