The warmth of the oven and the scent of pumpkin fill the air as Thanksgiving approaches. Students prepare for fall break, while parents scramble to gather all the groceries they need for their Thanksgiving meal. Thanksgiving is a holiday about giving thanks and being grateful for everything it has to offer.
Originating on November 27, 1621, Thanksgiving Day was celebrated by the Plymouth colonists from England and the Native American Wampanoag people, where they shared a harvest feast. It wasn’t until 1863, two centuries later, that President Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving Day a national holiday that should be celebrated every November.
Students at Cypress High School have many opinions about this holiday; some choose not to celebrate due to personal and religious beliefs, while others, like sophomore Nolan Schlatter, love Thanksgiving and the opportunity it gives to be appreciative. Schlatter celebrates Thanksgiving by hanging out with his friends and family. A tradition that he has is that he and his family bring out a tablecloth and write down something that they are grateful for. Schlatter said that Thanksgiving is important to celebrate since people can be thankful for the things that have been given to them, as well as appreciate the fact that they have people around them who love and care for them. “I think the most important thing about Thanksgiving is being able to relish the fact that you are loved and that there are people around that care for you.”
Chemistry teacher Brian Ramirez celebrates Thanksgiving by spending time with his loved ones, eating together and catching up with them. The most important thing about Thanksgiving for Ramirez is being able to spend quality time with his family, especially his wife, children, parents, his siblings and their families. He loves being able to spend time with them and enjoy traditions such as playing sports like tennis and basketball, as well as singing and playing instruments in a live band karaoke. Ramirez says that Thanksgiving is an essential holiday because it gives people the opportunity to reflect on what they are grateful for, like having family, friends, good health, a home and being blessed with a wonderful life.
Freshman Ava Fotinakes celebrates Thanksgiving with her family at her grandparents’ house. Fotinakes enjoys eating breadsticks during Thanksgiving and all the other delicious food that her family cooks. For her, Thanksgiving is an important holiday to celebrate since people get the time to love and thank everyone close to them for what they do.
Many of the students and staff at Cypress love and enjoy celebrating Thanksgiving. However, students like sophomore Raihan Shejeer believe that Thanksgiving is a painful reminder of the historical trauma the Native Americans experienced, and that celebrating the holiday shows disrespect to the hardships that they have suffered. “I think Thanksgiving is a waste of time, and it should be replaced with a more productive holiday.”
Freshman Elynah Sison sees Thanksgiving as a reminder of the genocide that happened to the Native Americans. For her, Thanksgiving is an unacceptable holiday to celebrate, and she believes that others shouldn’t celebrate it since it is practically celebrating genocide.
Although some students don’t celebrate Thanksgiving due to its origins, most still celebrate since Thanksgiving is about giving thanks and being grateful for everything and everyone. Don’t forget to say thank you to those you are thankful for!
