The thing I love about Thanksgiving is the delicious food I will eat, like macaroni and cheese, chicken, turkey, ham, stuffing, cabbage, yams with marshmallows, and greens.

Last Thanksgiving, I was with all my sister’s and some of my cousins at my big cousin’s house. My big cousin was having Thanksgiving and a housewarming party because she just bought her house and wanted to show the family what it looked like and told us we could come over anytime. My sisters Nae Nae and Akira came but my eldest sister Cierra couldn’t make it because she was out of town in Phoenix, Arizona.  Also, my mom couldn’t make it because she was at work but said she might come after the party.

My family all greeted me and I was happy to see them.  They told jokes, put pounds of food on my plate, told me how “old” I’m getting, saying I should come see them more, and just gave me hugs and kisses. My cousins are all so funny. A lot of them are younger than me but don’t know it so they are shocked when they found out I was a sophomore in high school. I don’t really know how or why they thought I was younger than them but they just thought I was.

Then my auntie was asking about what I’m going to do for my birthday since it was three months away and if I was excited to turn sixteen, which I was excited about. I was happy and full but my family told me I should take lots of leftovers, drinks, candy, chips, and cookies. I was happy though because I love food and I will always take the food that I am offered. Then my mom called and told me she was coming to pick me up and we left home, so Thanksgiving was great last year, and I hope it will be just as fun this year too.

~ Jaylay Storey

Thanksgiving… a time where we are thankful and spend our days around family and friends. Though this describes my family, my family and I aren’t out of a movie.

We don’t spend Thanksgiving the way it’s portrayed in movies; we don’t gather around a long wooden table where candles are lit, with lots of traditional Thanksgiving foods, including turkey, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, green beans, and pumpkin pie that had been set perfectly. We don’t take turns going around the table saying what we’re thankful for. Instead, my family and I go to a family friend’s house.

Throughout the years, for as long as I can remember, the house I would go to, the family cooks the traditional Thanksgiving foods. We would come early, hang out for a little bit while waiting for the table to be set. There would be a childrens’ table, and an adults’ table, but we still sat near each other, we all felt like one whole family, a family to be thankful for. We would say thanks, congratulate others on accomplishments, and more. However, in my most recent years, we went to a different family friend’s house.

The entire meal did not consist of the traditional Thanksgiving cuisine. We included cultural meals, foods like spring and egg rolls, vermicelli noodles, coconut jello, etc. Foods like king crabs and wings also made an appearance. We still enjoy Thanksgiving despite the missing turkey and pumpkin pie. Aside from the feast itself, there are now no “childrens’ table” and “adults’ table”. As I’ve grown, I no longer had to sit at a table solely for younger people. Even my younger sister joins me, as I join the adults at one big table. This small change is something I’m thankful for; being able to experience little things like this, that indicates I’m growing.

~ Nathalia Truong

Thanksgiving is a federal holiday where you give thanks, prayer, feasting, spending time with family, religious services, football games, parades. Others may do all of the above or only a few of the above.

For Thanksgiving, my brother, my mom, and myself go to my aunt’s house around 5 pm.  At my aunt’s house I say hi to my Tio, Tia, and both of my cousins, and her then boyfriend now husband. Once the greetings are over we all sit down while my Tia finishes up the food and puts them on the counter that they have which is curved and big enough to hold all the food. When my Tia says “ A comer!”, that’s when a line forms, and we let my Tio and Tia go first out of respect and then the rest of us just line up and wait till they’ve got their food.

Both my Tia and cousin make Ham instead of turkey, mac salad, twice baked potato casserole, and Salad along with Horchata. My mom bakes cheddar bay biscuits and makes all the veggie sides like potato salad, deviled eggs,  asparagus with sweet bell peppers, and sauteed carrots and potatoes.  My personal favorite is the twice baked potato casserole and baked cheddar bay biscuits, these are soooo good.

Once everyone has grabbed food my aunt says a prayer we all say “Amen” and we eat. When we are eating we compliment the food because it’s so good, we also tell funny stories and talk chisme. After we’re done eating we continue to talk, laugh, and make jokes. After a while my Tia will bring out a pumpkin pie with whip cream and that’s our dessert. When the pumpkin pie comes out I get excited. I love pumpkin pie and my Tia knows it. Then we again talk, laugh, make jokes, talk about chisme in the family, and when my mom gets tired, which is at like 10 0r 10:30 we say our goodbyes and go home.

~ Belen Alonso