Thanksgiving is a time when families come together to share food and stories, but some families have their own strange and funny traditions that make the holiday special. From strange rituals to odd foods, these odd habits show how creative family gatherings can be. People enjoy Thanksgiving because it is time spent with family, they can enjoy good food, and take a moment to be thankful for what they have.
At Hutchison, people have some weird traditions they do for Thanksgiving. Senior Eva Lackie performs skits with her cousins every year. They act out going Black Friday shopping. “We would make Krieder, my boy cousin, dress in our grandma’s clothes and would do his makeup to make him look like a gypsy.” Junior Olivia and Freshman Julia Candiotto are from Canada, so they celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving in October. They travel to Canada to visit their family. Olivia describes this tradition by stating, “When we go for Thanksgiving, it typically snows. With my cousins, we will build a snowman and use the leftover rolls and use them as the buttons for the snowman.” They get the best of both worlds because they still celebrate Thanksgiving in November. Junior Virginia Treadwell has such a big family that every other year they gather at her family farm, since they all can’t fit in one house. In describing the scale of her family gatherings, Virginia notes, “The family reunion consists of my grandfather on my mom’s side, as well as his five older siblings. My mom’s 19 first cousins attend as well as my 49 second cousins!” This time is special or unique for them because this is when they can meet and catch up with their whole family.
Some families typically play board games at Thanksgiving. Freshman Leighton Lanaux’s family “plays games against everyone like the Olympics.” They get supper into it and award a weiner after all the games are played. The winner of the Thanksgiving Olympics is allowed to fix their plate first.
Weird Thanksgiving traditions may seem odd, but they bring a special something to the holiday. It brings families closer and creates a tightly knit environment. These unique traditions remind us of what the true Thanksgiving spirit is all about. It is about connection, laughter, and creating memories that will stay with you for the rest of your life.
