As fall ends and many await the arrival of the Christmas season, Thanksgiving will approach at the end of the month.
Though many skip over Thanksgiving customs and fast forward to celebrating Christmas early, students said going home to Thanksgiving traditions is a fun way to ring in the holiday season.
Senior Caroline Graham said Thanksgiving is a huge holiday in her family. Each year, 40 guests arrive at her family’s home in the suburbs of Philadelphia. She said she looks forward to this while still in Malibu, as it can be hard to get into the holiday spirit.
“At home, the leaves change colors and it’s a lot colder and cozier — we have a wood-burning fireplace and my mom decorates the house and everything,” Graham said. “Here it just feels like summer all the way until winter break.”
Though there aren’t as many guests at his family’s dinner, sophomore Don Mario Davis said he enjoys the holiday because it brings his family together.
“I get to spend time with family — usually distant family I don’t get to see too often,” Davis said.
Since the holiday is a big ordeal in Graham’s family, a lot of preparation must go into it. She said her family moves all their furniture out of their living room in order to set up tables and chairs. Yet, which chair a guest gets to sit in means more than just a seat, she said.
“We have this tradition where the closer to the head of the dining room table you are, the higher you’re valued in our family,” Graham said. “So everybody wants to move up closer. If you do something that makes people mad during the year, you’ll get moved closer to the entryway.”
Each year, Graham said the guests consist of her extended family, including her many cousins. This year, a special guest will be joining the table.
“This year, my boyfriend’s coming from Dallas, which should be interesting because that’s a big [football] rivalry,” Graham said. “Definitely don’t think he knows what he’s getting himself into, but it’ll be really good.”
Graham said football is also a big thing in her family every fall — everyone is a big Philadelphia Eagles fan. She said she has been preparing her boyfriend for the negativity he’s going to receive from her family for being from Dallas.
Naturally, at the center of every Thanksgiving celebration is the food.
Sophomore Ben Hoffman said his favorite dish is stuffing, which he eats with his family at his grandparents’ house for dinner each year.
“I love Thanksgiving because there’s a lot of food and I get to see my whole family,” Hoffman said.
Graham said her favorite Thanksgiving dish is sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top, but she also loves Brussels sprouts and stuffing. After the big meal is over, she said her family ensures they make use of the leftovers, which they also share with others in spirit of the giving season.
“The next day, my mom and stepdad make turkey soup and then we’ll drop it off at the neighbors’ houses,” Graham said.
Davis said he loves cooking and good food, so the holiday stands out to him.
“It’s a very meal-centric holiday,” Davis said. “So I enjoy having good food and cooking good food with family.”
Davis said that as he’s gotten older, his duties in the kitchen have expanded. He helps out of a lot more now, and this year his family is doing something different, where each guest contributes one dish.
With parents from different cultures, Davis said his family celebrates Thanksgiving with both traditional and non-traditional food. In addition to the classic turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes, they also cook Colombian food.
“My mom’s side is Colombian,” Davis said. “We’ll cook empanadas, tostones, arepas and bunuelos.”
Davis said this year, as he welcomes the holiday season, he is particularly thankful for his family and being able to be at Pepperdine.
“I’m very grateful for my educational opportunities,” Davis said. “My grandmother pays for my college, and without my family I couldn’t be here.”
Though it can be easy to jump ahead to the Christmas season, students find joy in easing into the holiday season through the celebration of Thanksgiving and fall traditions.
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Contact Amanda Monahan via email: amanda.monahan@pepperdine.edu
