For lots of students, Thanksgiving and the seasonal festivities that drag behind it not only create new memories, but hold traditional values that intertwine students with their cultures. With Thanksgiving break around the corner, culture clubs around the school are preparing for their fall celebrations. Senior and Culture Cuisine club president Ava Adam elaborates on the history behind the holiday.
“I think it’s important to highlight the Native American holiday: The National Day of Mourning,” Adam said. “The story of Thanksgiving is a misrepresentation of the Wampanoag people, and Native Americans today gather in Plymouth, Massachusetts in order to honor their ancestors and celebrate indigenous traditions.”
From fasting and prayer, to feasting and a fridge full of too many leftovers, the customs shared between loved ones take many different forms. Adam shares her own traditions.
“We take part in the classic Thanksgiving dinner, but we make it our own by serving Mexican and Haitian foods,” Adam said. “It’s a holiday where we spend time together and connect back to our cultural traditions.”
Junior Joyce Yao among other students presented about Chinese culture at CCC’s meet on Nov. 14. The club practiced Tai Chi, learned to write ‘I love you’ in Chinese, and tasted a variety of dishes.
“We got to educate people about Chinese culture and debunk some myths,” Yao said. “For example, orange chicken isn’t Chinese. It was invented in Hawaii in 1987.”
As a Chinese-American, Yao similarly blends her culture in her Thanksgiving traditions among her family.
“On Thanksgiving, my family has roast duck instead of turkey,” Yao said. “We also speak both English and Chinese at home. There’s always going to be a blend of the two.”
The connections made during group activities don’t falter along the lines of family and friends, like Muslim Culture Club’s bracelet making meeting on Tuesday.
“In my family, we often gather with a lot of my relatives at someone’s house for a potluck style dinner,” senior and MCC member Yumna Jawad said. “This holiday is a way that people can remember what’s important to them and be thankful for everything in their lives.”
Spending the fall holidays being swarmed and swaddled by the people who love you is common among most families, but some don’t celebrate.
“I know there are some students who don’t get to experience a Thanksgiving dinner,” Adam said. “In a sense, Culture Cuisine Club allows people to experience a ‘Thanksgiving’ every month with varying foods. Our club is based on cultural education, student interactions and conversations.”
