On the fourth Thursday of every November is the holiday Thanksgiving. The first Thanksgiving took place on the fourth Thursday of November in 1621. The first Thanksgiving is remembered as a dinner between the Pilgrims and Wampanoags to celebrate the Pilgrims’ first successful harvest. Thanksgiving, in the present day, is all about giving thanks and spending time with your friends and family. That being said, Thanksgiving doesn’t look the same for everyone.
Many families start off their morning of this holiday with a road race. There are many different road races in different cities all across the United States. In Hingham, we have the Turkey Trot. This race is a 3.1 mile road race. Close to 1,900 people participated in this run last year. Maggie O’neill can hardly wait for her and her family to continue their tradition of running on Thanksgiving this year, explaining “I have run the Turkey Trot every year since I can remember and I am so excited to run it again this year.”
Another tradition that is different in every family is the food they choose to cook and eat. There are many common Thanksgiving foods and desserts, but some families cook unique dishes. Freshman Mia Milligan spoke about the foods she eats on this holiday. “Not a lot of people like turkey in my family, so instead we have chicken. Then we also eat mashed potatoes, homemade mac and cheese and other cooked vegetables.” Thanksgiving can mean something different to every family, and the different foods eaten reflect that.
One last major difference between Thanksgiving celebrations is where families go to celebrate. Some people host their family while others go to their grandparents, cousins or friends house to eat and celebrate. Many go to friends or relatives homes who live nearby or are a short drive away. Others do not, and rather travel to all different places around the country. And at these different places people eat their feast at all different times of day. Some people choose to have a lunch time meal, while others choose to eat their food later at more of a diner time. Thanksgiving is such a fun holiday to see friends and family, give thanks and have a good meal! Have a happy Thanksgiving!
