From turkey dinners to going to the Plaza to see the lights, the students and staff at Northtown spend Thanksgiving following traditions their families have passed down through the years.

“Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. There’s tons of food and as a child, I would go see the Plaza lights with my grandfather and that is a tradition I have carried on every Thanksgiving. However, I don’t do the Black Friday shopping afterwards,” said I.B. coordinator Dr. Jane Reed.

Some students spend Thanksgiving doing traditions that are unique to their family.

“Once all my family comes over, we play croquet. As soon as dinner is over with, we play leapfrog. It’s fun and we have ongoing jokes with one another about eating dogs for dinner,” senior Melaina Bixler said.

However, for those students who don’t have ongoing traditions, those students make Thanksgiving unique in their own way.

“I don’t have any special or different ways of celebrating Thanksgiving. We don’t do anything. All I eat is Chinese food,” senior Yin Tse said.

Additionally, students have families who make their holidays their own.

“For Thanksgiving, my whole family comes over and it’s always crowded with tons of food,” freshman Lorenzo Mortelli said.

However students and staff celebrate their Thanksgiving, one thing is clear: food is essential. From the desserts, sides, big dishes, and even the non-traditional dishes, food is what students and staff enjoy the most with their families.

“My mother and I usually cook dinner but my favorite foods would have to be the turkey, cranberry sauce, turnips, and the stuffing,” said French and Theory of Knowledge teacher Chad Lower.

“My favorite foods would probably be the pies, turkey, or my fried rice,” said junior Michael Ly, who enjoys cooking and is on the Northtown cooking team.

“What makes my Thanksgiving would have to be frying latkes [which are potato pancakes], and the pumpkin pie,” said junior Selena Montes.

Students and staff all around Northtown have traditions and favorite foods that make their Thanksgiving unique. Whatever way you celebrate Thanksgiving, it makes your holiday and those traditions that much more special.