Thanksgiving: a time for familial tradition for Bradley staff, students

by Eric Sese Staff Writer

The following story was written by a student on the staff of The Jaguar Times as part of Hilliard Bradley High School’s Journalism Production course.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, an inflatable turkey is situated outside the media center with paper feathers in the backdrop expressing what people are thankful for. Photo by Eric Sese.

Thanksgiving is a time for family, festivities, and turkeys. For centuries, it has been a time for giving thanks and sacrifice for the harvest season. However, over the years Thanksgiving has evolved substantially, most notably in America, when it is remembered as the Pilgrims’ first harvest in the New World. Since then, Thanksgiving has become a cornerstone of American tradition with people all over the country celebrating their own unique traditions. In the spirit of the Thanksgiving season, the staff and students of Bradley stated the meaning of Thanksgiving and the traditions they hold closest to them.

Regarding the meaning of Thanksgiving, Gavin OBrien (12) explains, “Thanksgiving is a time to come together with friends, family, and maybe bury some hatchets with a few enemies.” He goes on to explain the importance of being around family as “having a good time with the people you know, people you care for, and just getting to know them better.” Like any other holiday, Thanksgiving is a time for family and friends at its core. Similarly, Miss Kowalski said, “I am originally from Venezuela, South America, so it was really weird moving here and having to kind of learn what Thanksgiving was. So to me, it’s more about getting family together. Just like an excuse to come together. We put our own Venezuelan spin to it, but to me it’s about getting together with family and not having to go to school.” While Thanksgiving is a well known tradition in North America, it is not a familiar word in many countries like Venezuela. Sydney Thom (12) described Thanksgiving as “a time to reflect on friendship and family and be thankful for the blessings of this country.”

Like many other holidays, Thanksgiving is a time for tradition. Mr. Warfield said, “My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is having the opportunity to be with my mom, and my dad, and to be with my family. I think that’s the best part of Thanksgiving, is getting to see some people and spend time with people you don’t get to see everyday.”

Srinika Kalavala (12) and Lexi Fields (9) had similar responses connecting family to Thanksgiving tradition. Srinika said, “Every Thanksgiving my family makes a bunch of food and we all just sit together and eat it.” Lexi said, “Every year we made these turkey handprint placemats, and ate off of them during Thanksgiving.” Small traditions like Lexi’s are what make Thanksgiving traditions memorable.

Charlie Gill’s (10) family, Thanksgiving is not the only celebration in their household. He said, “Four of my cousins have birthdays in November, and we always get together the Saturday after Thanksgiving to watch football and hangout.” Giving Thanksgiving a deeper meaning other than its surface tradition is always important.

Thanksgiving is a time for a plethora of traditions. Traditions are strong in households all over America. For centuries, it has been a time for giving thanks and sacrifice for the harvest season. However, in Hilliard Bradley High School, Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends, and becoming closer to each other altogether.