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N the Red
November 2020
Feasting with family Unique Thanksgiving traditions bring families together Katie Barnett
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barnekat000@hsestudents.org
hanksgiving was declared a national holiday in 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln. Since then, it has been celebrated by millions of Americans each year. A family’s lifestyle, culture and more impact Thanksgiving. This year, social distancing measures will also change holiday celebrations. There are some commonly held traditions shared by people around the country, but each family’s Thanksgiving is unique. The Feast Enjoying a shared meal is one of the most recognized Thanksgiving traditions. The food at the table varies widely in each family. Senior Livia Bogdan’s family incorporates Romanian tradition into their Thanksgiving holiday. “We usually have a lot of traditional Romanian food, which is a lot of soups,” Bogdan said. “We don’t usually have turkey. We usually have ham or beef of some sort.” Romanian cuisine contains many meats, soups and cheeses that are rich in spices. Her family spends a part of their holiday making a selection of traditional Romanian sausages. “In Romania, they make sausage all the time, but for us, it’s a day-long expenditure that takes a long time,” Bogdan said. “It’s definitely no typical Thanksgiving.” English teacher Kate Young also says that she does not have a typical Thanksgiving. Her family is vegetarian, so their feast consists of unique options that fit their dietary restrictions. “I do a combination of making some vegan and vegetarian dishes and we get some of the things from Whole Foods,” Young said. “They have a whole vegan Thanksgiving menu which is really good.” Young said that although her family enjoys Thanksgiving now, it was not always easy. When they switched to their new diet, they found that the holidays became a lot more work. “About six years ago when we became vegetarian it became harder and harder to enjoy the holidays,” Young said. “We had to bring our own food everywhere we went. Now it’s just my husband and kids by ourselves at home.” Despite the challenges, Young treasures the time she gets to spend with her family around the table.
