Thanksgiving break is finally among us and I for one couldn’t be more excited. Not only do we students get much needed time off but we also get to spend time with our loved ones. Especially being so far from home when I’m at school, I never take time in New Jersey for granted – I love catching up with my family, going back to my favorite restaurants and cooking homemade meals. This holiday season is a really special time (honestly one of my favorites of the year) and I decided to share my favorite ways to get into the Thanksgiving spirit!
1. Watch Your Favorite Thanksgiving Movies and TV Shows
Nothing feels better than getting home for break, relaxing on the couch around and watching TV all day – especially with finals season coming up, we all deserve to do this while we can. So while you’re watching Netflix, try to watch some Thanksgiving-themed episode of your favorite show. My personal favorites are the Friends episodes “The One With All the Thanksgivings” and “The One With the Football”, and of course the classic Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.
2. Look Up Fun New Recipes
I know that when I go home, my all time favorite thing to do is make my own food; just for a week, I get to escape the undesirable dorm food and finally make what I want. Looking up fun new recipes for Thanksgiving is an awesome way to get back into the kitchen, spend time with family while making it, and not to mention make the holiday more enjoyable. It’s so exciting to see how my extended family reacts when we make a new and different dish among the traditional ones like mashed potatoes and stuffing.
3. Give Back in Anyway You Can
I feel like giving back, no matter how you choose to do so, is what Thanksgiving is truly about. Whether you donate money to an organization you’re passionate about or you volunteer at your local food shelter, everything counts – even the smallest efforts can make lasting impacts. Personally, one of my goals this break is to donate canned goods to a local food shelter so those who are less fortunate can also have a Thanksgiving meal.
4. Reflect on What You’re Thankful For
Of course Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks, so now more than ever we should have lots of gratitude and celebrate the positives in our life. I know sometimes I find myself focusing on negative/ bad things going on in my life, and I’m sure we’re all guilty of this at one point or another. Therefore, taking a step back and looking at what I’m thankful for is what Thanksgiving is all about!
ProTip: Make sure to enjoy all the seasonal treats like pumpkin spice lattes or apple cider donuts because they won’t be available much longer!