Foreign students share thoughts on Thanksgiving

By Ava Moon,
Bluedevilhub.com Staff–

Leaves are falling. Turkeys are on sale in stores and people are traveling to meet family. It’s Thanksgiving Day.

Many people spend the Thanksgiving holiday without thinking about its meaning. This is true especially for foreigners.

“My first Thanksgiving last year, my family members and I didn’t know why people celebrate Thanksgiving. So, we did nothing,” said senior Sarah Yu, who came to America from South Korea in September 2013. “It was really boring.”

According to the website eNotes, only America and Canada celebrate Thanksgiving, but most foreigners in America are not Canadian.

Sophomore Shayan Shahbazi, who came from Iran in August 2014, said, “Iran has a similar day like Thanksgiving, but American Thanksgiving Day is not familiar to me. So I really have no idea if I will do something special on Thanksgiving because I don’t have enough information about that.”

Jesse Kermit, a history teacher at Harper Junior High, explained that Thanksgiving is a day of celebration and giving thanks for the harvest of the year that started in the 1600s.

Kermit said, “Foreigners might not know a lot about Thanksgiving because […] unlike Christmas or Halloween which have large celebrations, Thanksgiving dinner is a private occasion that takes place in homes with close friends and family.”

Instead of knowing about Thanksgiving, some foreigners decide to enjoy just the holiday itself.

“Although we don’t have anything like Thanksgiving in China, I know it should be super fun that I can spend long holiday with my family and friends,” said junior Evelynn Wang, who came to America from China in April 2014.

Wang also said that she is excited for Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, because she can go shopping and buy cheaper items and hang out with her friends.

“It is not the main thing about Thanksgiving, but I’m still so excited about it!” Wang said.

Spencer Elliott, an English teacher at Davis High, explained that Americans often have a traditional Thanksgiving meal which includes turkey on Thanksgiving Day. He also said that different people are thankful for different things on that day.

“For me and my family, Thanksgiving is a holiday about being thankful. We celebrate with a nice dinner. We get together to laugh and talk with each other,” Elliott said.

Elliott says all people can celebrate the day. “Thanksgiving is a non-religious holiday, and I think everybody has something to be thankful for. […] Not everyone has to eat turkey. The important part about Thanksgiving is acknowledging what you are grateful for.”

Most foreigners don’t learn about Thanksgiving for a while after moving to America, but Yeongseon Jo has. He came to America eight months ago from South Korea, but he already knows the customs of American Thanksgiving.

“I’m going to join a Thanksgiving Day party and celebrate with my family. I will also eat turkey. I’m so excited about it,” Jo said.

Kermit gave advice to foreigners who want to enjoy a meaningful holiday. He said that the concept of Thanksgiving involves celebrating a successful year and being thankful for what we have.

“So all you really need to celebrate Thanksgiving is a group of people you love and a dinner table!” Kermit said.