Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on what to be grateful for, and, since grade school, grandparents to teachers alike have emphasized its importance.

Thanksgiving is also about spending time with family and cultivating traditions. With each Thanksgiving, we are given the opportunity to not only look back on old traditions, but to  introduce new ones.

Students around FUHS have their own traditions on Thanksgiving. From what’s on the table to where they go, everyone has a their own twist on what it means to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Sophomore Katarina Ifantis explains how she and her family incorporate their Greek heritage into traditional Thanksgiving.  

“So we do traditional American stuff, but because we’re Greek, we also do lamb with lemon, spanakopita and sometimes moussaka, which is like mashed potatoes and layers of ground beef, and baklava,” said Ifantis. “Then we usually go around the table and talk about one thing we are all grateful for and then we relax and watch football.”    

Junior Erika Pike-Gonzales describes her typical Thanksgiving day, as well as the influence of culture.

“I like to go see my cousins in Fresno and we make food all day then eat it all,” said Pike-Gonzales. “We do traditional Mexican food like tamales and carnitas and stuff like that as well as traditional Thanksgiving food. Every year right after we eat we start putting up Christmas decorations.”

Senior CJ Yousling’s Thanksgiving is incredibly family-oriented.

“Usually, for Thanksgiving, we go down to the bay area and hang out with family and on Thanksgiving, anyone who wants to play flag football would go out to American Canyon and play flag football in the morning,” said Yousling. “I enjoy hanging out with family and getting to see them since they live so far away.”

Despite differences in traditions, there will always be gratitude, family and food. It may only be one day of the year, but Thanksgiving proves to be a significant event that impacts lives and cultures in ways that can last lifetimes.