According to History, Thanksgiving has been celebrated since 1621. It was when the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag shared an autumn harvest feast which is now acknowledged as the first Thanksgiving. After about two centuries of individual colonies and states celebrating, Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863.

Ellie Siepmann, an Arrowhead senior, said, “I go to Colorado for a ski camp so we eat Thanksgiving dinner with my entire ski team. Going to Colorado is a tradition.”

EF History said that the top US traditions are watching the Macy’s Day Thanksgiving Parade, breaking the wishbone in the turkey or chicken for good luck, and eating a traditional Thanksgiving meal such as turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and sweet potatoes. Other traditions include sharing what you’re most thankful for, watching an American football game, being grateful for friendsgiving, and giving back.

“My job is just setting it up, but every person has a specific dish. So my aunt makes pies, my grandma makes Kringle or Almond Puff, and then some people bring cheesy mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and then two people specifically bring a smoker and they smoke ham and turkey and stuff. Everyone has a specific job on what to bring. Our tradition is just family time and thanking God for the food that’s on the table,” said Ian Callies, a senior.

According to Britannica, Thanksgivings were days for prayer thanking God for blessings such as military victory or the end of a drought. The US congress left Thanksgiving declarations to the states; some objected to the national government’s involvement in a religious observance, southerners were slow to adopt a New England custom, and others took offense over the days being used to hold speeches and parades.

Emma Groff, a sophmore,  said, “It’s an annual thing for us to go to our cousins house, that’s what we do every year.”

Arrowhead High School’s Thanksgiving break takes place November 23-25 according to their website. Groff said that she will be spending her time with her cousins, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and her immediate family. Speimann said she is going to be with her sisters, her dad, and her cousin. Reagan Russ, a senior, and Callies both said that they were going to be with just family.

“A tradition is just family time and thanking God for the food that’s on the table,” Callies said.