No matter what your family does for Thanksgiving, there’s always the idea that you have to follow the Thanksgiving “model.” You know: huge turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie, lots and lots of family around a giant dining room table, etc. By now, between years of tradition and many Thanksgiving advertisements, it’s become pretty much what anyone would expect to see if you happened to go to a random house on Thanksgiving. However, there are a lot of ways to celebrate the holiday, and even if your home does end up looking like the front of a November issue of Good Housekeeping, I don’t think there’s anyone who doesn’t end up putting their own spin on Thanksgiving.
Families who moved here from other countries are bound to do Thanksgiving differently. Why should they be held to the traditional standard that makes no sense for them? If having a turkey is what makes someone connected to America on Thanksgiving, they should have a turkey, but cooking an “American” meal just because it’s what’s expected is a seemingly out-of-place stipulation for a holiday centered around family.
There’s also “Friendsgiving," a popular way to do a Thanksgiving among college students who can’t go home, people who don’t have close family, or those who just want to celebrate with the people they love. Most Friendsgivings don’t have anything close to the finesse of a picture perfect meal, but they make up for it in genuine feeling. Most people who do Friendsgiving do it because they genuinely want to, not because they’re expected to hang out with distant relatives around a turkey.
My own personal Thanksgiving has always been kind of strange. For starters, it will go from being a huge family affair one year, to my siblings, my mom, and I the next. For kids with divorced parents, it’s always a little strange not to see one half of your family during Thanksgiving, but we’ve made it work. This year is a small year, and coincidentally our oven is broken, so that means any chance of a traditional at home meal is dashed for time being. But that’s alright. I’m into spending time with them than a whole plate of cornbread stuffing — which is saying a lot because I really love Thanksgiving food.
No one should have to feel like they’re doing Thanksgiving the wrong way. There is no way to do Thanksgiving that is not right in some way, unless you know someone is going to be alone. If you leave them by themselves then you are the one doing Thanksgiving wrong. Some people have families to go home to, some people don’t. Some people like traditional Thanksgiving food, some don’t. Thanksgiving isn’t prescribed by some religion or law, there is nothing but a cultural tradition telling you what you should make of it. You can transform it into whatever suits you, and gives you the vehicle to be grateful, regardless of tradition.
