Pumpkin spice and rewatching “Gilmore Girls” can mean only one thing: Thanksgiving is right around the corner. 

Thanksgiving is an annual holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. With the holiday arriving, so are varying traditions, such as watching football or catching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The Muse asked students to share their Thanksgiving traditions.

Communications Freshman Siarra Pierre Charles

“One of my favorite (traditions) is definitely cooking with my mom and making the macaroni, because now that I’m in high school, I can actually cook. She’s starting to teach me how to make certain dishes, and it’s something that gets me excited every year, because one, I love food, and two, it just helps me get closer with my mom, and also with my culture. I’m patient, so we make a special type of macaroni, so being able to learn how to make it is really amazing.”

Vocal Sophomore Lani Nguyen

“Me and my family always host a big Thanksgiving party. We invite all our family, all our friends to come over. Something specific to my family is that I’m Chinese-Vietnamese, so instead of, like, a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, we love to have our dishes at Thanksgiving dinner.”

Visual Junior Max Cannon

“Me and my family, all get together and kind of just celebrate the holiday. We have food with each other and hang out. I’m going to go to Columbia to go check out my grandpa and see what he’s doing for Thanksgiving.”

Strings Senior Marina DiMarzio

“My family goes on a long road trip, usually it’s to Georgia to visit cousins, and we usually go off course, like to another nearby state. This year, we’re going to go to North Carolina and see (the) Biltmore (Estate).”

As students head into fall break, their plans may differ: from cooking family recipes to traveling out of state. Thanksgiving offers a moment to slow down, reconnect, and savor the little traditions that make the season. No matter what’s on the table, students are finding their own ways to celebrate gratitude.