Thanksgiving is a holiday that can be celebrated by anybody and everybody. Gathering around, giving thanks and eating mounds of delicious food. From pumpkin pie to turkey, there are so many options to choose from. What could ever be bad about that? 

When it comes to activities, the majority of families of the students of Solon High School (SHS) gather around to relax and spend time with their loved ones. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is one thing that many people tend to put on in the background of the discussions. As it is a very special event that is meant to bring happiness and gratitude to many. 

The parade can be a staple in the celebration of Thanksgiving for some families. Alex Lyublinski, a Senior at SHS finds this as a memorable way to cherish the holiday. 

“Watching the parade brings back a lot of memories with my family since we have watched it for as long as I can remember,” Lyublinski said. 

Many people tend to do more than just watch the parade. Catching up with family and friends that have come from all around is something that can be special to many people. Thanksgiving brings relatives that may not be seen often due to distance. But unfortunately, due to COVID-19 Baek will only be having immediate family celebrating. 

According to Ester Baek, a Sophomore at SHS, she enjoys being with her family and friends over anything else. Baek’s family from all around the world comes to Ohio in order to share how thankful they are for each other.

“Since I have a crazy background I get to see family from all over the world visit me,” Baek said. “I love to be surrounded by the people I love most, especially my friends and family.”

While some people find it to be an enjoyable time to sit around and chat, others find more enjoyment with the football games that play on Thanksgiving Day. According to Junior at SHS, Jakob Oldenburg, he finds it most enjoyable to sit around and bond over the games on the television. 

“I don’t really get to see most of my family all the time,” Oldenburg said. “It’s just kind of nice to bond with them over something we all enjoy a lot.”

For many, getting this time to chill and cheer on their favorite teams is the most rewarding part. Some students like Maleya Cruz, a senior at SHS,  find it a tradition to just get comfortable and enjoy the games that come on.

“We just watch football a lot throughout the whole day,” Cruz said. “We [also] just sit around bumming.” 

Even though these students enjoy a variety of shows during Thanksgiving, The National Dog show, is a something that a lot of people watch. If you love dogs and are looking for something to put on in the background, then this is a show to consider. With over 25 million people viewed last year, this was something a lot of people don’t want to miss. 

Although activities are a big part of Thanksgiving, the food served at dinner is typically the most important part. All families share different meals together depending on their culture, family size and types of food they all enjoy. 

Jesse Pettigrew, a Senior at SHS, personally enjoys the amount of options that his family makes. While there is such a wide variety of food at the table, he always goes for the most filling and savory options first. 

“My mom makes a mean green bean casserole that I always eat,” Pettigrew said. “I love the crunchy onions that my mom puts on top.”

Students such as Baek enjoy common foods that are eaten throughout the year, but she seems to enjoy it way more with her Thanksgiving dinner. Just because it may be Thanksgiving doesn’t mean that students can only enjoy those delicious foods during the holidays.

“I love the macaroni and cheese I eat during Thanksgiving dinner because it just hits different,” Baek said. “Even though I can eat it whenever I would please, eating it during Thanksgiving somehow makes it taste so much better.”

According to Oldenburg, he has a large family that all like different things, so they provide a bigger variety. They make sure that they have more popular items like turkey and mashed potatoes, which are Oldenburg’s favorite. 

“The whole day is crazy with like five people making food,” Oldenburg said. “But I make sure we have a lot of mashed potatoes because those are the best.” 

After dinner, many families enjoy doing different things on Thanksgiving, ranging from physical to relaxing activities. Each student has different outlooks on what they do after dinner. While some may go out and play football or basketball, others enjoy sitting around a fire and continuing to talk more.

“One year when we went outside and played horse with all of my uncles,” Oldenburg said. “It was fun when everyone came outside to watch and mess around.” 

There are many different thoughts that come to mind for many people when it comes to Thanksgiving. For some, food and activities may be the most important thing to them. But in the midst of that, the memories created throughout the holiday as a whole are just as important.

According to Pettigrew, he has a fond memory of when he went on a vacation to Mississippi with his family. They made a lot of great memories and had a lot of laughs at the same time. 

“I remember one year, my aunt who is Southern decided she wanted to be on America’s Got Talent,” Pettigrew said. “She started singing this song, and my sister and I were dying inside.”

According to Lyublinski the memories he makes during Thanksgiving are some of the best. He speaks on the joy that it brings to be able to see family he may not see on a daily basis. 

“One big memory that comes to mind is one year when my dog jumped up on the table and ended up eating the food,” Lyublinski said. “It was probably one of the funniest moments of Thanksgiving that I can recall.”

Thinking back on past memories of this holiday with her family is what makes Thanksgiving something to look forward to. Some of these moments are what makes enjoying this time so special. 

“My favorite memory was when my mom cooked the turkey upside-down thinking she would get more flavor out of it,” Cruz said. 

With days full of families relaxing and catching up, these silly moments make Thanksgiving that much more memorable. Getting to laugh about random things and make everlasting memories makes this holiday everyone is patiently waiting to celebrate. 

All of these different ways of celebrating show how Thanksgiving is a time to come together, fill with laughter, and live in the moment. All of the memories are something that many people look forward to. It is a time to forget all of the negativity in the world and just enjoy the company of the people you love most. And let’s not forget about all of the amazing food.