Thanksgiving is a time for remembering blessings, and a time for people to appreciate life. Around the Hartland community and the Arrowhead district, students and their families prepare to celebrate the holiday. Thanksgiving break starts the 23nd, and goes through the 27th. Though traditional foods are a large part of Thanksgiving celebrations, Thanksgiving means much more to students around Arrowhead High School.

“Thanksgiving is such a unique holiday because it’s a holiday in which we celebrate and where we give thanks for what we already have instead of getting something. On Halloween, Valentine’s Day, Christmas, and even the 4th of July you get candy or presents or something; however, this is not the case for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is wonderful because it helps all of us that are normally too busy, or maybe just not observant to see the blessings we have, and it makes us stop and count them. We have so very much to be thankful for and many thanks to give to the people around us for giving us the opportunity to be thankful. On this day, we celebrate the small things in life, and don’t seem to feel the need to gain anything but love and care,” Jackie Vondrak, a senior said.

“Thanksgiving is so unique because it isn’t a holiday based on a religion. In fact, this holiday’s date is on the third Thursday of November and our country is the only one that celebrates this particular holiday, with the history of the new settlers coming to America. I believe that that is truly special. Thanksgiving isn’t about how much food is on your table, or about giving and getting. This time is meant and dedicated to spending time with family we cherish, and being thankful for those surrounding you,” Lexie Newman, a junior said.

Thanksgiving brings forth family traditions that have been passed down through generations. Many families have special traditions they use to show gratitude.

“Thanksgiving is such a wonderful holiday, filled with old family traditions. That’s what I adore about it. One in particular that stands out to be would be that when I was younger my family and I would invite all of our friends who didn’t particularly have a home or place to stay at that current time to have Thanksgiving dinner with us. Now that time has passed we have my brother Justin’s military friends come home and eat with us. It really warms my heart to be surrounded with such love. I am thankful,” Mallorey Wallace, a junior said.

For many people throughout the United States, gratitude is difficult. Beyond deprivation and depression, there are many ordinary circumstances in which gratitude is hard to find.Students around the community see the good through all of the bad, and share their perspectives on being thankful, even in the darkest moments.

Vondrak said, “I’m thankful for my family and friends. Albeit this idea is usually said, I don’t think I realize how important they are to me. Especially now that I am a quarter of the way through my last year at home ever, I’m finding myself extremely thankful for the time I have left to cherish their company. I hope that others learn to stop and look around at everything they have on Thanksgiving because we truly are lucky and well-off in this area. There is a piece of paper on my fridge that has been there probably since the 1990’s and I’ve read it only a few times, but it talks about how thankful we should be if we have had food in the past 24 hours, have some coins in our pockets, and have a roof over our heads. It says that if we have any one of these things we are better off than billions of people around the world.”