Thanksgiving is one of America’s greatest holidays. Any time we can get together and enjoy great food with our family and friends is time to cherish. This year’s holiday may look different, but the staff at the Salmon is still very thankful for everything it has. We love the tastes, smells, fun, and excitement of Thanksgiving. Here are the rest of our favorite things about one of the best days of the year.
Being with family – By Grace Helbling
Family is one of the most important parts of a Thanksgiving get together. Although 2020 has limited our ability to see some of our extended family members, we still can set up a call, a video chat, or even a get together in-person with safety precautions. Even though you may not be able to taste Grandpa Frank’s fried turkey, or Aunt Susan’s mashed potatoes, you can still spend virtual time together. And with those you live with, you can still cook, eat, and have fun. One of the things almost all of us are thankful for is family.
Eating great food – By Izzy Gehringer
Another main part of Thanksgiving is the great food. There are many different traditional foods served on the holiday. The staples are turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, corn, stuffing, and sweet potato pie. These are a lot of other great side dishes and desserts too. We love the cranberries, the gravy (which isn’t a side dish, but still really delicious and important), and hot sweet apples.
The best desserts are the different types of pies, such apple, pumpkin, and pecan, but there are a lot of other good ones too. Another great dessert is Buckeyes, the little globs with peanut butter with chocolate on the outside. They are very rich and creamy and very good. Thanksgiving is a good day to do extra exercise.
Not everyone cooks their Thanksgiving dinner. In fact, some people like ordering takeout. Chinese food is popular on Thanksgiving because many Chinese restaurants are open. Other people order ham or even turkey from catering businesses.
Watching football
For many sports fans, Thanksgiving football is one highlight of the day. Few things are better than sitting on the couch and watching the NFL while the turkey sizzles. Those who play fantasy football can enjoy the games even more, assuming our players do well and our teams win. In recent years, the NFL has added additional games to the Thanksgiving schedule, but there are always games in Detroit and Dallas.
Playing games – By Katie Williams
We all find ourselves enjoying a good board game once in a while. Getting to play them with family and friends on Thanksgiving is especially fun! After the food has been eaten and the dishes have been washed, many relax by sitting down and getting out the games.
Playing board games is a great way to bond and connect with our loved ones. They allow for traditions to be set and fun to be had. There are games that are full of strategy (Monopoly) and complex thinking (Pictionary) and others that make us happy or angry (Apples to Apples). Playing board games is a great way to work together and learn the importance of both family and teamwork. Everyone should take the time to find a game they enjoy and share it with their loved ones.
Traditions– Sophia Mazer
Every family has traditions when it comes to holidays. Traditions can be culturally important or just something that has become annual that is done for fun. Thanksgiving is a great holiday for traditions. For some, it is what they eat. Turkey is one of the most popular foods for this holiday, though some may think it’s not the best, but some families don’t want to go against their ideal Thanksgiving and go without it. Traditions can be who cooks and/or who cleans up, sometimes it’s watching the game or playing a game with your family, or sometimes, it can even be the argument your uncle and grandfather get into when debating who will win. Traditions are what make the holidays, the holidays. Though more importantly, traditions are what can make Thanksgiving one of the coolest holidays around.
Friends – By Emma Cochran
When you think of Thanksgiving, your mind probably goes to three things: food, family, and football. But Thanksgiving is not just about the Big 3. It is also about being thankful, and that includes being thankful for your friends. It’s always a good idea to try to include them during the holidays.
Some people do a specific event for friends called “Friendsgiving,” which is a second thanksgiving meal that is more casual and laid back than the traditional family sit down. Other people might go shopping with friends on Black Friday.
We all have different ways to celebrate with our friends. I go to the SASD High School field, with a bunch of my friends and their families. They all play a game of football while I run around with some of the other people who don’t play. We bring a gas heater and everyone brings hot drinks, donuts, muffins and other good food. No matter how close you are with your family, do not forget your friends.
Good and bad history – By Rebecca Cantafio
By many accounts, the first Thanksgiving was held in 1621, when the Wampanoag Tribe and the Pilgrims who were at the Plymouth Plantation held a feast. This was a symbol of unity between the two groups of people.
But don’t let the traditional story deceive you. There is much more to it. For starters, many Native American descendants do not celebrate Thanksgiving due to the bloody history of this county’s origins.
We all love our country, but there are parts of our story that are tragically sad. As the colonies were being established, Native Americans were killed or forced from their land by settlers looking to make a new life. For this reason, Thanksgiving isn’t celebrated by every American. This part of the story shouldn’t diminish your love of the holiday or the importance of being thankful, but every American should know the reality of what happened.
Thanksgiving Fun Facts! – By Bella Minyo
- Did you know that the average person on Thanksgiving eats about 299 grams of fat and 3,000 calories? Yikers, guess I won’t be wearing jeans for a bit. Maybe putting that new gym membership to use wouldn’t hurt either…
- Did you know that the ButterBall Turkey Talk Line gets about 100,000 phone calls on Thanksgiving day? (this is assistance for those who don’t know how to roast a turkey). Wow, can you imagine being on your 500th call of the day explaining the same thing over and over again?
- About 46 million Americans prepare a turkey for Thanksgiving and about 88% of Americans eat turkey for Thanksgiving. That’s a lot of turkey…
- The first Thanksgiving was actually a three-day affair, not just one day! People back then really knew how to party, huh?
- On the first Thanksgiving, Colonists and Native Americans might not have had turkey at their feast. *faints in turkey lover*
- Thomas Jefferson, how could you…! Thomas Jefferson refused to acknowledge Thanksgiving as a holiday!! Back then the President had to declare Thanksgiving as a holiday every year and it wasn’t until Abraham Lincoln became President did he make it a National Holiday. Jefferson firmly believed in the separation of the church and state. Since Thanksgiving involved prayer and reflection, he thought designating it as a national holiday would violate the 1st Amendment. He thought it was better suited as a holiday, not a federal one. Ahem, good old Abe is now my favorite President.
- Did you know that only male turkeys actually gobble? Hence the name for male turkeys “gobblers.” Female turkeys actually cackle. So if you’re having a hard time figuring out if a turkey is a male or female, just wait for them to open their beaks.
- Americans eat an estimated 50 million pumpkin pies on Thanksgiving! But guess what, more Americans prefer apple pie over all!! Pumpkin pie is a close second though. I think that all pies are good as long as it is done right. Am I right, or am I right?
THE SAMS SALMON 