I’ve always loved Thanksgiving; it’s a time to be grateful, to get together with family members that I rarely see and, of course, to eat some amazing food. But my Thanksgivings have never looked like the stereotypical “American Thanksgiving.” There’s no mashed potatoes or mac and cheese on my family’s table, and we never gather around to watch football. Instead, my celebrations consist of a strange—but beautiful—fusion of foods and traditions from several different cultures.
Like so many others in America, I am the daughter of immigrants. My mother came to the United States from Armenia when she was 9 years old, and my father immigrated from Russia when he was 10 years old. I grew up learning about my parents’ respective cultures, and both sides of my family held onto their ethnic roots even as they adopted a more American way of life. And, our Thanksgiving celebrations reflect that.
When I walk into my aunt’s house each year on Thanksgiving, ready to celebrate a uniquely American holiday, I hear three different languages being spoken. When we sit down to eat, there’s always a turkey in the center of the table (or two—my family is pretty large), but around it are bowls piled high with Armenian dolma and Russian Olivier salad. In the background, the annual Armenian Telethon plays on the TV, and my relatives analyze the list of ArmeniaFund donors to see if they recognize any names. For dessert, we eat pumpkin pie and baklava, and my mother walks around asking people if they prefer Armenian-style or American-style coffee. It’s not traditional, but it’s perfect.
When we talk about Thanksgiving in America, we often focus on what is considered “traditional” and forget about the incredible diversity of holiday celebrations. But all around the country, immigrant families come together and celebrate in ways that incorporate all the different parts of their identities. There is no “right” way to do Thanksgiving; it truly is what you make of it. And that’s definitely something to be thankful for.