The semester is halfway done and Thanksgiving is around the corner. Students of different cultures share their favorite traditions and food for the holiday.
Each family's approach to the holiday is shaped by their unique experiences and backgrounds.
Shannon Henry, a senior marketing major, said that Thanksgiving allows her to sit down and reflect on everything while spending time with her family.
“[I reflect] on all the things I’m thankful for and [for what] God has done in my life, related to family, school, and life in general,” she said.
For other students, Thanksgiving serves as a time for reflection and an opportunity to create lasting memories with family.
Sasha Bosque-Issardin, a senior political science major, said that Thanksgiving is about spending time with her family and enjoying their company while they’re still around.
Another student, Gianna Prisco, a senior English and political science dual major, said Thanksgiving is about spending time with her family and appreciating one another. Prisco said she looks forward to spending time with her family on Thanksgiving because they are the most important people in the world to her.
Similarly, Sarah Gregory, a senior visual and sound media major, said that Thanksgiving is about her family, especially considering both she and her brother live away from each other.
“My brother and I are both in college and a lot of our breaks don’t line up except for Thanksgiving break so all of us being back home together is such a great feeling,” Gregory said.
The blend of traditions and cultures among Seton Hall students showcases the rich diversity present in Thanksgiving celebrations. Additionally, students shared how their cultures shape their Thanksgiving meals.
“My family is Italian so we ‘spice’ things up a bit. And all the sales that come after Thanksgiving,” Prisco said.
Prisco said her Italian culture strongly influences the traditions and food they partake in.
“Other than the fact that we have stuffed shells, we also tend to eat foods we would eat during Christmas,” Prisco said. “Like chestnuts, or Italian cookies and a dessert called struffoli.”
Henry said her Jamaican culture influences the food served on the table, as her family serves a combination of Jamaican food and traditional Thanksgiving food.
“In Jamaica, we have jerk chicken, so [we] make jerk turkey for Thanksgiving,” she said.
Henry said her family also makes sorrel, a French dish.
“[It] is typically made around Christmas, but we make it on Thanksgiving as well,” Henry said. “We also make rice and peas, curry chicken, oxtail, and curry goat.”
Gregory said that because she’s Italian, her family always includes lasagna or a pasta dish on Thanksgiving and during all of their holiday meals.
“The food is the most influential when it comes to my culture. I’m Italian so there’s always going to be some sort of Italian dish on the table when it’s time to eat,” she said.
The students each have different traditions that their family ordains and participate in.
Henry said that at the end of the holiday, they all go around the table and give a speech about what they're thankful for throughout the whole year.
“My family does it to reflect on the things we have and appreciate what we have in life,” Henry said.
Prisco’s family tradition has to do with the food provided at the table. Prisco also said that her family plays a Christmas song popular amongst Italian Americans as one of her Thanksgiving traditions.
“We also make sure we play ‘Dominic the Donkey’ at least three times,” Prisco said.
“We have stuffed shells before all of the traditional Thanksgiving food,” Prisco said. “My family came from Italy so they weren’t aware of Thanksgiving when they came here, so of course we have to have something a little Italian.”
Some students don’t have specific traditions, like Bosque-Issardin who said her family serves “pernil,” a slow-cooked pork roast that is common in Puerto Rican cuisine, instead of the traditional turkey.
“My family doesn’t have any specific Thanksgiving traditions,” Bosque-Issardin said. “My family serves pernil instead of turkey, and I’m sure we’ve done that for as long as I can remember just because we’re Hispanic.”
Gregory said that Thanksgiving looks a little different every year, so her family does not have any specific traditions in place.
“It’s always a fun surprise of who shows up and what happens the day of,” Gregory said.
Each of the students discussed the variety of ways they spent the holiday with their families.
Henry said that for her family, Thanksgiving is a big family get-together to catch up on things and say what they’re grateful for and looking forward to in the future.
Gregory said Thanksgiving revolves around being involved with her family by helping with cleaning and cooking.
Prisco spends the holiday with her family by spending quality time together which involves playing tombola, which is an Italian board game, and watching the Thanksgiving parade.
“Our relatives come over for like eight hours so really it’s mostly about just spending time together,” Prisco said.
Delianie Cerda is a writer for The Setonian’s Campus Life section. She can be reached at delianie.cerda@student.shu.edu.
