Being grateful is the heart of Thanksgiving and is rooted in many of the holiday’s traditions. Ranging from cooking family recipes to gathering at the grandparents’ house to give thanks, there truly is a variety of Thanksgiving traditions for students.

“My sister and I make Thanksgiving dinner together,” sophomore Gabriela Hotaj said. “My sister does most of the cooking so she looks up recipes she hears about from her coworkers.”

Every family will have different traditions, especially when it comes to food. While turkey is tradition, it might not be the main course of choice for some families. They may choose to replace the famous bird with a chicken, or purchase a tofu turkey, or “To-furkey,” instead.

During the festive weekend, many families decide that Thanksgiving should be spent getting their homes ready for Christmas. Mistletoe ornaments and little reindeer towing Santa’s sleigh all come out after Thanksgiving weekend to bring Christmas spirit.

“Every year we go to my aunt’s house and set up the Christmas tree,” sophomore Lauren Farley said, “because my family is absolutely obsessed with Christmas.”

No matter what students do during the holiday, it seems that spending time with family, or even friends, reigns supreme.

“Usually we all takes turns having Thanksgiving dinner [with my family at their] houses and we play games and stuff first and then eat,” junior Rebecca Jones said. “[Someone usually] carves the turkey and after that we have quality time together.”

Between eating the famous dishes, there is sure to be time spent reflecting on what students are thankful for, whether it’s the break from school, or the time they spent celebrating and feasting with their families.

“[Life] is crazy, so when you get time to spend together it’s pretty cool,” Farley said.