Celebrating heartwarming traditions this Thanksgiving

Bringing some pumpkin spiced warmth to the November chill by celebrating friends, family and gratitude during the American holiday.

Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday in November, and this year is on Thursday 28 November.

What is Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving is a national holiday, celebrated primarily in the United States.

Often commemorated with a large feast, the iconic turkey dinner represents the first thanksgiving in America. Dating back to 1619 where colonists in Plymouth, Massachusetts, (later known as the Pilgrims) allegedly shared a meal with the Wampanoag Indians – the natives to the land.

In time the meal became a way to show appreciation for the aid provided by the Native Americans and later as a day of thanks, called for by US presidents like George Washington and John Adams.

Commonly referred to as ‘Turkey Day’, Thanksgiving is always followed by one of the biggest commercial shopping days in the US calendar: Black Friday.

How is Thanksgiving celebrated?

While Thanksgiving is mostly known as a fall (autumn) holiday, some people affiliate the holiday with the festive season.

In the US, the date of Thanksgiving is a public holiday so most people will be off work and schools are closed. Many offices also give employees the Friday off too.

Traditionally family and friends will gather to celebrate together, cooking their Thanksgiving dinner and sharing what they are thankful for that year.

Many households have taken to upholding new traditions, such as the watching American Football as the NFL (National Football League) televise three major games on Thanksgiving Day.

One of the most iconic celebrations during thanksgiving is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The grand parade dates back to the 1920s, when Macy’s employees made their way to the iconic flagship store on 34th Street in New York, with participants adorned in vibrant costumes. The parade featured colourful floats, professional marching bands, and even live animals on loan from the Central Park Zoo.

Nowadays the parade is streamed live and includes plenty of floats from well-known brands, and even features Santa Claus himself.

Thanksgiving activities

The perfect way to commemorate the ‘thanks’ in thanksgiving is to create a gratitude jar, which is a place for you to write down all the things you are thankful for.

All you need to do is label your jar, grab some pieces of paper, take a moment to write down what you’re thankful for and fill your jar. You can either choose to open these throughout the year, maybe if you’re having a bad day, or save them to open them next Thanksgiving.

How our students are celebrating

We asked American student Ally what the holiday means to her.

“Thanksgiving means combining friends and family to celebrate the things we are grateful for each year. I especially love this holiday because it is less formal and strictly family oriented. Thanksgiving is a joining together of loved ones and their inner circles.”

Ally also told us what she is thankful for this year: “I am thankful for my family back home and life abroad; having parents from two different countries who inspired and encouraged me to travel the world is what I will always be the most grateful for. I am thankful for the friends I have made while traveling, the memories I will never forget, and the independence I have gained.”

If you’re also looking to celebrate Thanksgiving in the UK this year, Ally shared her plans to celebrate, which include hosting a Thanksgiving dinner with her course mate, watching the Macy’s day parade online and making traditional side dishes!

What the International team are thankful for

Here in the International team at Brighton university, we also wanted to share what we are thankful for this year with you.

“This year has been important for me growth and perspective wise. I joined University of Brighton almost mid-year and its been going great. Personally, I have grown more calm and grateful about life this year!”

“My wonderful family and friends most of all, however in general I am thankful for living in such a beautiful part of the country and being able to enjoy the outdoors.”

“Being able to spend time with family and friends, and to call Brighton my home.”

“I am thankful for all the amazing opportunities I’ve had to learn and grow this year, both professionally and personally. I’ve been lucky enough to have some amazing experiences both at work and through my hobbies to enjoy new experiences (sometimes scary ones!) and to achieve things I wasn’t sure I was capable of.”

“I’m thankful for health, home, holidays and cat cuddles.”

 

We wish all students, staff and alumni who are celebrating a very Happy Thanksgiving!