As the leaves turn from green to vibrant reds and yellows, people begin to embrace the fall weather. With that comes the staples of Thanksgiving season like pumpkin spice, football and turkey. Spending time with family and friends is consistent across most Thanksgiving celebrations, but students and staff at MVHS have drastically different holiday plans.
CYNTHIA HIRANO
Relaxing at the beach, ziplining and sleeping in may be unconventional during the holiday season, but these practices have become an annual tradition for sophomore Cynthia Hirano. Hirano’s first Thanksgiving vacation was a spontaneous trip to the Disney Resort in Hawaii when she was in elementary school. Hirano’s family enjoyed it so much that they decided they would return every year, and now the family goes to Hawaii every Thanksgiving break.
“I think the older generation has this idea of a Thanksgiving dinner,” Hirano said. “But I feel like a lot of people nowadays don’t necessarily do that, my family being an example. I feel like today’s generation is more willing to try new things and step out of the traditional aspects of Thanksgiving.”
Hirano emphasizes that relaxation is a staple of her Thanksgiving. She recalls one year when she and her brother hung out at the beach for hours before dinner, watching the waves hit the shore and the sun slowly set. For the most part, their Thanksgivings don’t stick to a strict schedule, as they prefer spontaneity. However, Hirano’s mother still likes to preserve one aspect of the holiday she grew up with; having a Thanksgiving dinner together. The family finds a balance between their untraditional customs of going to the beach and traditional Thanksgiving dinner.
“My mom’s always at the dinner table like, ‘OK, let’s go around and talk about things that we’re grateful for, about each other, our friends and our life in general,’” Hirano said. “But other than that, my mom or the rest of my family, for that matter, doesn’t really have anything that we have to do every single year.”
NOAH GUAN
Sophomore Noah Guan’s family started celebrating Thanksgiving after moving from Taiwan. The food they eat is more Chinese than American, like tomato tofu and water spinach, and because only some of his family is able to attend Thanksgiving dinner, their celebrations often diverge from traditional dinner. Guan believes that Thanksgiving is a flexible holiday, and traditions and norms shouldn’t dictate how people celebrate it.
“Some parts of the American tradition should be kept, and other parts can be changed to fit one’s circumstances,” Guan said. “Not everyone can afford a Thanksgiving turkey every single year, and not everyone can afford to assimilate within the culture, especially if they’re immigrants.”
Relatives of Guan don’t share the same emphasis around Thanksgiving, as Thanksgiving is more of a family gathering to them rather than a time of just gratitude. But even in simple gatherings, Guan says they show their appreciation and gratefulness not in fancy toasts, but in the food they make and eat.
“While at dinner, I can feel that their mood starts to lift after everyone starts getting their food. Guan said. “I believe food is an integral part of who you are, as well as what your family dynamic is. And my grandparents like to express their love and their gratitude using the food they give.”
Guan disagrees with the idea that Thanksgiving should be the most important time to place emphasis on gratefulness. He says he tries to maintain an attitude of gratitude on any and every day.
SCOTT DERUITER
Math and computer science teacher Scott DeRuiter celebrates a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with his family. This year, DeRuiter’s family hosted around 20 people for the holiday, including his sons, his sister and his sister-in-law. Over the last 15 years, they have celebrated Thanksgiving on Friday rather than Thursday to provide more time to travel for family members who live farther away. This allows them to have time with family on Thursday before the actual celebration.
“We do try to incorporate the name of the holiday in our gathering, to be thankful for all that we have,” DeRuiter said.
Both DeRuiter and his wife are teachers, so they don’t get as much time off during Thanksgiving as they do during summer or between semesters. One of his sons flew in from New York and will only be in town for 48 hours. As a result, DeRuiter is able to connect with his family more during other times of the year, like Christmas or the summer.
“The Christmas holidays are probably a little bit more important because we have more time to get together, whereas this is a little more rushed,” DeRuiter said. “So there’s going to be a little more chance for us on Christmas.”
