For those who celebrate, Thanksgiving is a great opportunity to appreciate those around you and give thanks to the blessings in your life. Yet, the way students celebrate differs depending on your family’s Thanksgiving tradition.

Personally, my family prefers to celebrate by traveling to my grandparents’ house where we eat a big meal, watch football, and get together with cousins, aunts, uncles, and the rest of our extended family. However, others prefer to celebrate in different ways unique to their family.

Some incorporate more than just human family into their Thanksgiving tradition.

“My family has a tradition every year where we bury a piece of turkey for my dog that passed years ago. He loved turkey with a dying passion,” freshman Maddox Schaffner said. “So to commemorate him every year we bury some turkey next to his grave so he can enjoy the food along with us.” Remembering family who have passed is just as important as treasuring those still with us.

Others’ family traditions are more structured and date back centuries.

“This tradition of mine has been as old as our first ancestor. Every Thanksgiving…we would have a small turkey dinner and…sit around a small campfire and tell each other ghost stories or legends. After the ghost stories, we would roast popcorn seeds over the fire and make homemade popcorn,” sophomore Abigail Prout said.

A select few like to demonstrate their athleticism for the annual Thanksgiving 5K run.

“My Thanksgiving tradition is to run the Turkey Chase then come home and help my mom start cooking the food,” senior Khloe Byers said.

On the other hand, some prefer to take a chiller route by relaxing and watching what Thanksgiving TV has to offer.

“We always watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in the morning,” junior Kendall Kleinschmidt said.

Whether celebrating by watching TV, getting together with extended family, or even honoring beloved pets who passed, Thanksgiving is a great holiday to have fun while appreciating those closest to you.