Being an Indian, celebrating holidays such as Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter are not really a normal thing. However, my parents brought us up not wanting to miss out on these holidays that the kids around us would get so excited for. On that account, except for Easter, me and my brother grew up celebrating Christmas and Thanksgiving like the rest of my friends— big dinners, spending time with your family, presents and all that good stuff.
One of my favorite Thanksgiving traditions that my family celebrates is inviting our closest family friends, whom my brother and I grew up with, over to celebrate because we do not have family that is close enough to invite over. Me and my dad, Sunny (I never really call him Dad, I don’t know why, it’s just a thing), spend the day cooking… well… he cooks and I sit on the dining room table and talk to him. However, because Sunny thinks it’s silly to eat the dinner super early, I usually go to one of my friends’ houses, who I have known since middle school, and spend a portion of the day with her and her family. When I get home, Sunny makes me and my brother set up the dining room table and living room so it looks nice and we start setting out the food. Usually, the food is a mix of Indian food and the traditional Thanksgiving food, so there is always a lot more than our pants allow us to eat. My mom usually will be getting ready around this time, or sit in the living room watching her Bollywood Soap Operas, and then we all relax until our family friends come over.
When they arrive, it is usually around the time when football starts, and as a lot of the times the Giants are not playing, we just pick a random team to root for and go on like that. As the game ends, we all will sit around, catch up on everything and relax for a good amount of time, while our stomachs start to like us again. The conversations usually revolve around Bollywood and Hollywood movies, school, what new tattoos or piercings I have gotten (the topic of conversation since I can remember), what is in when it comes to fashion— what looks are good to buy and what ones are out of season— and whatever other topics of conversations that arise. When the clock hits around 11 or 12, me, my brother and our family friends go to the mall to do some Black Friday shopping, or watch the chaos unfold around us. During this, I usually end up meeting with some of my friends who actually won’t mind going into stores like Victoria’s Secret (because why would you bring your brother or closest family friend in there…) and the night will continue on like that.
These traditions have been going on since I can remember; cooking a mixture of my countries food, as well as the country in which my parents are from, go into a food coma, catch up with family friends, watch football, and go shopping. It’s just a normal holiday like most other families— but what makes it so special is that I don’t have to try to impress anyone or get into those difficult political conversations that usually arise— everything is so serene and peaceful. Coming home from college during this time is usually a break from one of the most stressful times of the semester, so being surrounded by those you cherish the most is always a blessing— it’s one of the things I am so thankful for every single year.