BY Mackenzie Maher
The smell of stuffing fills the air. The 12-pound turkey has been in the oven for two hours and still has an hour and a half to go. Potatoes have been peeled and are ready to be mashed, along with cranberry sauce that still needs to be cracked open.
This is what Thanksgiving morning looks like in junior Maggie Kruse’s house. As the day goes on, she says she, her younger brother and her mom make pies while her dad sits on the couch watching football.
“The best part about Thanksgiving is making apple pie, it’s been a tradition in our family for years,” said Kruse. “The recipe has been passed down from my grandma to my mom and now it’s something my brother and I get to help with. It brings us all together and the kitchen smells amazing. This is my favorite dessert that we eat on Thanksgiving because it’s one that we made together.”
From savory to sweet, students around Sacred Heart University have differing opinions on what their favorite dish is on the Thanksgiving table.
“My favorite food on Thanksgiving is sweet potato casserole and pistachio cheesecake,” said junior Morgan Rosa.
On the other hand, a more traditional choice of food is favored by some.
“My favorite food is either turkey or stuffing,” said senior Christopher Donato. “Turkey and gravy just make it feel like it’s Thanksgiving.”
Many students say their favorite part about Thanksgiving are the traditions that their families uphold from year to year.
“Every year, my family gets up early and goes for a hike for a couple hours in the morning,” said Rosa. “It’s nice for us all to stop and enjoy this moment together because the rest of the year is always so busy, especially since one of my sisters and I are away at school most of the year. Thanksgiving is all about family and doing this hike every year reminds me of how lucky I am to have them.”
Senior Kailyn Ringel says the part she cherishes most about Thanksgiving is reuniting with cousins she does not get to see as much during the year.
“Each Thanksgiving morning, our entire family plays a football game. We always have so much fun because everyone gets to catch up and laugh together,” said Ringel.
Some students say that Thanksgiving is a time where they reminisce on past holiday memories.
“One of my favorite memories is when my family went to see the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City,” said sophomore Grace O’Rourke. “It was so much fun because it was something that was so different from our normal Thanksgiving plans. After dinner, we went to the movies in the city which was such a cool experience.”
Junior Julia Kukulka says she is thankful for her housemates and her family this year.
“They are the ones that have really helped me get through this tough semester. Every step of the way they are constantly motivating me to get up when times get hard in school.”
Many students at Sacred Heart say that the Thanksgiving season is a time where they try and stop to remember all that there is for them to be thankful for.
“With everything going on in the world and not knowing what tomorrow may bring, Thanksgiving is so meaningful to me because it reminds each of us of how much we have to be grateful for,” said junior Alessandra Maniscalco. “I’m thankful for my friends and family, they mean so much to me and I’m always grateful to have each of them in my life.”
