This year, Thanksgiving is on the 24th of November, which means students and staff are getting ready to celebrate their holiday traditions.

For Math teacher Dria Kerman, Thanksgiving is her favorite holiday. She said, “I like that it is low-key – just cook, hang out, watch football, and eat some great food!”

Sophomore Francesca Diasio, who likes the food aspect of Thanksgiving, has many different family traditions. She said, “Me and my family host Thanksgiving at my house. All of our extended family comes over for dinner.”

Freshman Vivian Gerbasi celebrates Thanksgiving at her aunt’s house and watches the parade with her family as well as other traditions. She said, “To celebrate, we eat food and all hang out together.”

Diasio enjoys the desserts that she and her family makes, too. “We always watch football and vote on who made the best dessert. I am typically the winner of that competition!” she said with a laugh.

Kerman celebrates with her grandparents, brother, and her parents. She said, “We cook all day and snack on appetizers, watch football, hang out, and then eat pretty late in the day actually. We normally don’t eat dinner together until 6:00 PM.”

Diasio also likes spending time with her family and watching football. She said, “And watching my dad yell at the football [game] on TV.”

Although Kerman doesn’t have any specific traditions, she enjoys spending time with her family. She said, “I am always the one doing the dishes and packing up leftovers though. [I] think I might put that on my brother this year,” she jokingly said.

The Diasio family incorporates their cultural traditions with Thanksgiving food. “We always have pasta which is not typically a Thanksgiving food but my Italian family needs to have pasta at every gathering,” said Diasio.

Gerbasi particularly enjoys eating food the best, emphasizing the wide variety her family makes. She said, “My favorite Thanksgiving food is mashed potatoes and the desserts my family makes.”

Diasio gets to spend time with her family that she usually doesn’t see. She said, “Spending time with my family means a lot to me and getting all together for a holiday is always a fun time. Since I don’t get to see my extended family that often, I cherish this day we are able to spend as a family.”