Mid-November, the last leaves are falling from the trees and the weather is getting chilly, which could only mean one thing: Thanksgiving is right around the corner. For many international students, Thanksgiving is a holiday that feels unfamiliar, making it worth exploring the meaning behind the holiday.
To understand Thanksgiving to its fullest, it helps to look at its origin. Thanksgiving originated in 1621 with a harvest feast in Plymouth, Massachusetts, shared between English colonists and the Wampanoag people, marking a successful harvest. President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed it a national holiday in 1863 during the Civil War.
Despite its historical context, many people today do not resonate with the holiday’s colonial roots. Instead, they connect more with the emotion and sentiment behind the celebration.
“I think a lot of you might believe that [Thanksgiving’s] about the pilgrims and being thankful for survival, but we don’t really connect it to the colonial roots,” said freshman public policy major Maxwell Hartley. “Most Americans don’t really contextualize it like that; we just see it as a time for gratefulness, reflection and family.”
Talking with students about Thanksgiving shows that the holiday is really just a simple moment to slow down and be with the people you love.
“There’s not much leading up to Thanksgiving, which some people find underwhelming,” said freshman journalism major Karianne McKenna, “but I think it’s really nice, because all your focus on that day is your loved ones around you and what you have to be thankful for.”
Many students shared similar feelings, emphasizing how the holiday creates a space to slow down and reconnect with the people who matter the most. Others highlighted the simple comfort that comes with being present and enjoying the moment together.
“Thanksgiving means coming around together with your loved ones and just making the time to just be in the moment and share a meal, being in each other’s lives and engaging with each other,” said freshman Mira Harp.
Every holiday has its traditions. With Thanksgiving, they involve hanging around with loved ones and having a big dinner with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and other cultural favorites. However, every family has its own special Thanksgiving traditions.
“We put up our Christmas tree after dinner,” said sophomore journalism major Owen Korsak. “[We also] have a table cloth that we sign every holiday, and I’ll write Owen Thanksgiving 2025 and then I’ll draw something relevant to me at the time.”
Thanksgiving is all about being thankful for what we have and being grateful for the opportunities life has given us, and there is a beauty in acknowledging what we have and sharing it with people.
“Instead of a team dinner, we switch it up and we just give [the high school football team] a full Thanksgiving dinner,” said freshman business major Anthony Wilson. “For some of them, it’s special because they usually can’t afford it, so they can still eat well for Thanksgiving.”