The familiar sounds of sizzling and the strong aroma of different savory foods seep out of the kitchen as family members anxiously waiting for the food to finish. As they wait, the game is on, groans and screams of excitement can be heard as each family member for their team to win. That’s how most people have their Thanksgivings go, but with every culture comes different types of foods and traditions.

Thanksgiving is a time for loved ones to gather around at the table and eat foods that they don’t typically eat on a daily basis. Even though Thanksgiving is more of an American holiday, many of the other cultures enjoy partaking in the celebration. Sophomore, Olinda Acosta-Fierro, enjoys Thanksgiving because of the food her family makes and the time she spends with her family.

“I am Mexican, so I eat a lot of Mexican food on a typical day. On Thanksgiving, I eat foods like corn, rice and ham and a few traditional Mexican dishes. What makes Thanksgiving even more fun is the fact that my family and I dress nice before dinner. After we eat, we just talk about what we’re grateful for,” said Acosta-Fierro.

Some cultures don’t celebrate the holiday, but they still find a way to enjoy some of the things that come from the season. Some things still enjoyed would be the seasonal foods and drinks, especially turkey since not many people buy it before or after Thanksgiving. Sophomore, Bhavya Gireesh, doesn’t participate in Thanksgiving due to her culture but, does enjoy the foods that arrive with the holiday.

“I’m Indian, so in my culture we don’t really celebrate Thanksgiving. My family does occasionally buy turkey to make since it’s easier to buy during the Thanksgiving season. Besides that, we treat it more like a normal day and eat typical Indian dishes like Masala and fried rice,” stated Gireesh.

A lot of people have foods that they prefer to eat during Thanksgiving and foods they like to eat everyday. The ranges of dishes vary with how each culture celebrates the holiday. Sophomore, Kacey Magana, prefers Filipino food much more than what is seen as the traditional Thanksgiving foods.

“I prefer my own Filpino foods much more than foods like turkey and ham because I grew up with Filipno food rather than traditional American dishes. An example would be Adobo which involves meat, seafood, vegetables marinated in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and black peppercorns. Another would be Lumpia which is made of a thin crepe pastry skin that is called ‘lumpia wrapper.’ It has a mixture of fillings including vegetables and minced meat. Those are some of my favorite dishes,” stated Magana.

Almost every culture celebrates Thanksgiving, however different it may be, from traditions to foods. Even if there are people who don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, they still have different ways to enjoy the day like buying the foods that are in season. It’s a holiday that is about being thankful for what others have and hope for things they will have in the future. No matter the situation, people still want to get together to enjoy the holiday.